Icon (A Jared Leto Fanfic)
by savannah1620
Summary: Daphne Brando is Hollywood gold. The granddaughter of screen icon Marlon Brando, Daphne has risen to fame since childhood. How will she fare when she meets an actor who reminds her a great deal of her grandfather? Will they pair up and become Hollywood's power couple or will they go down in flames?
1. Chapter 1

"She is delightfully chaotic, a beautiful mess. Loving her is a splendid adventure." -Steve Maraboll

"Daphne, I need you to sign this and confirm that this schedule works for you," Kelly said, holding a piece of paper out in front of her.

The young woman sitting across from her took it and examined it. After a quick overview, she signed the sheet of paper and gave it back, her priceless signature glistening on the page in dark ink. The private plane they had chartered shifted slightly and the young woman sank back into her plush chair and clenched her fists in her lap. No matter how many times she had flown around the world doing press and going to exotic locations for a film shoot, she was still very nervous when it came to flying. She twiddled her neatly manicured fingers and sighed, glancing out of the window next to her seat. The table in front of her was littered with numerous scripts she had been offered parts in and she was in the process of going over them with her agent to determine which ones she wanted to take on. Kelly, her personal assistant, was sitting opposite her, taking notes and running though the day's itinerary.

"When we land, we will head straight to the house and you can unpack and freshen up. Then we've got to rush to Burbank for a meeting around three," Kelly read off her phone's calendar.

Daphne simply nodded, keeping her green eyes trained on the window and the clouds passing by. She was returning from doing press for her latest film in New York City. Her life was always packed full and managed. It had been that way since her breakout role at eleven years old. Her agent had made sure she was kept busy, booking her for film after film, jet setting from film set to film set. It was, in part, her grandfather's way of keeping her so busy that she didn't notice his failing health. But it was also the safest way to avoid getting wrapped up in unnecessary Hollywood temptations and drama.

Her grandfather was the late Marlon Brando, screen legend extraordinaire. Daphne had grown up in his care after her parents couldn't quite get their shit together long enough to really be parents. They fought so often that Daphne's father, Christian, had decided to send her to spend the weekends with his father to alleviate the stress on the child. When her father was sent to prison when she was three, Daphne was sent to live with her grandfather because her mother wanted nothing to do with her. Upon her father's release from prison when she was eight years old, Daphne ended up staying with her grandfather permanently from then on, having a very tumultuous relationship with her father until his death when she was nineteen.

But everybody has skeletons in their closet, even celebrities. She was used to the media coverage now. At twenty-six years old, she had more than lived up to her grandfather's legacy, garnering award after award for her performances in film and television works. Daphne Brando was the IT GIRL in Hollywood. Everyone wanted to work with her. Everyone wanted to be with her. But even the fame she had came with a price. She had worked with all the Hollywood greats: Brad Pitt had been like a father figure to her when she had worked on 'Troy' with him, Orlando Bloom was one of her closest friends because of her work with him in 'Lord of the Rings', 'Troy', and 'Pirates of the Caribbean', Daniel Radcliffe was like a brother to her because of the years she spent on set with him doing 'Harry Potter'. If you named a film in modern Hollywood, chances were that Daphne was either in it or friends with someone who was.

Friends were an interesting concept to her. She didn't really have a clear memory of a time when she had been able to simply go out without being hounded by photographers. Even in childhood, before she was an actress, her grandfather would visit Michael Jackson at Neverland Ranch and she'd spend hours playing in its vast gardens, roaming through the zoo freely, while her grandfather would rest inside the house, watching the trees in the garden. The only real friends she had were famous as well. It became normal for her to expect to be watched by others. Every move she made and everything she said, she expected to be captured by others.

"Have you given any thought to any of these yet?" Kelly asked, indicating the scripts on the table.

Daphne glanced at them and shook her head. She hadn't been asked to audition for any roles since she won her first Oscar in 2005. She was generally just given scripts and begged to take parts in films by wishful casting directors now. She was sent dozens of scripts a month from different studios and production companies. She tried to have a balance between her projects, trying to avoid being type-cast in certain roles. She always aimed to surprise her fans and critics with each new role she took on.

"Steven wants an answer by next Friday," Kelly said. "And Darren wants to meet with you for lunch at some point this week to discuss a new project he's working on. There's this new project by David Ayer that popped up this morning," she said, digging through the scripts. She produced one that was relatively thick. "He really wants you to look at it."

Daphne knew which one Kelly meant. She'd already read through it. It was for the 'Suicide Squad' film that DC comics had been trying to get made for years. She'd heard about it back when she'd done 'Dark Knight' and several directors had approached her about it, but she'd never been comfortable with it. She'd felt too raw about it for a while, given Heath's death. They were very good friends and it had been a huge shock when she had walked into his apartment that morning in New York and found him. It hit her much harder than her father's death had. She just didn't feel like anyone would ever do the role of the Joker justice, and no studio would back the film without Daphne in her character, so it was on hold until she agreed to take the project or a studio took the project without her in it.

"I've looked at it already," she replied to her assistant. "It's probably a no again."

"I don't know why you keep turning the project down. It's a perfect fit for you," Kelly answered.

Indeed, Daphne was widely considered to be the darling of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy worlds. She'd done 'Lord of the Rings', the entire 'Pirates' series, 'Lost', and done multiple other projects that were heralded as massive within the Comic Con universe. But she was wary of being typecast, so she chose her roles carefully.

"Because I don't think it would work," she replied simply.

Kelly nodded and left the subject alone. "Anne Hathaway called to see if you'd want to do dinner this week. Brad and Angie send their love and a thank you for the gift you sent Pax. And Ellen wants to have you on her show as soon as possible. She says she misses you a lot."

Daphne nodded in acknowledgement and picked up the script for 'Suicide Squad'. David's version was darker and had a great deal more interaction between her character of Ophelia and the Joker. It also focused more on her backstory, which was something that had been overlooked and ignored in 'Dark Knight'. Daphne flipped through the pages and thought in silence for a few minutes.

"When we get back from this meeting, I want you to get David on the phone. I want to discuss a few things with him," she instructed her assistant.

She nodded and jotted down a few notes in her ever-present notebook. The plane landed at LAX within the hour and Daphne was met by numerous photographers when she walked out of the airport. She paused to talk to them, always aware that if she gave them a little bit of her time then, they'd be much more willing to give her the privacy she wanted later on.

"Daphne! Over here, Daphne!" they shouted in a chorus. She paused for photographs and gave her signature smirk before heading toward the curb of the sidewalk.

"Daphne, did you have fun in New York?" one asked, following her with a camera.

"It was loads of fun. I love meeting with my fans and letting them get a closer view of my work," she answered, signing a photograph of herself that someone had thrust in front of her. She glanced around, finding Kelly right behind her.

"And what about the rumors that you and Leo were spotted out at dinner a few times while you were there?" someone else asked.

She knew very well what they were referencing. She had spent a great deal of time with Leonardo DiCaprio while she was in New York and they had gone out to dinner several times. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to get her to date him but she had turned him down.

"I'm friends with Leo, guys. You ought to know by now that I have loads of friends," she said with a teasing grin. Leo was too much of a gentleman to kiss and tell and she wasn't about to break his trust. Besides, they had left the door open for the future. She just didn't have any time for it right now. "I've got to go. Thanks, guys!" With that, she tucked herself into the backseat of the SUV waiting for her and they drove off.

The drive was slow-traffic on the 405 was always a bitch and a half- but Daphne was glad to be headed home again. She always considered her grandfather's house 'home', and had never really considered it to be anything less. Since his death, however, she had moved out of the home she shared with him, his live-in maid and girlfriend, Maria, and their three kids. She never felt as though she belonged there after he died. Daphne always got the feeling that Maria was jealous of her success and the attention Marlon doted on Daphne, instead of the children she had with him. Maria was even more furious when Marlon's will left nearly half of his estate to Daphne and split the remaining half between her and his then-fifteen living children. No, there was no love lost between Daphne and her adoptive grandmother so Daphne chose to stay away from that part of her family.

When she moved out, Daphne purchased the home her grandfather used to live in, up in the Hills of Hollywood. Many questioned her judgment of buying a house on her own at sixteen, however it didn't really matter. She was never really home long enough to do much. Most of the time, she was rushing between filming locations and press tours. She hardly had time to stop for more than a week at most, and usually that time was spent in negotiations with studios or directors. This time would be no different. She had a week off before she started filming on location for a new television series for HBO that was written and created by Vince Gilligan. She was really excited about it and couldn't wait to get started.

The SUV pulled up to the gated property and Daphne saw more photographers waiting outside. Except the driveway was full of other vehicles and a large security guard stopped their SUV, asking for identification. Daphne stuck her head out of the back window, eliciting screams from photographers seeking a picture, and the guard allowed them to pass through.

"Oh, shit, I forgot to tell you," Kelly said, hissing in embarrassment. "We rented out the house for a few days while you were gone to a film crew. They were supposed to be done by now, but I guess they ran over. Neil was supposed to let me know." Neil was the person who managed the property for rentals.

Daphne smiled gently at her nervous assistant. "It's not a big deal. I don't mind, really. You know that."

They regularly rented out the house to film and television crews to shoot scenes in. All the money earned from that went right into an account with the Los Angeles parks that Daphne had set up a few years back. She realized that the house was just empty most of the time, so she decided to let others enjoy its beauty and give it a purpose while she was away filming. The car parked at the front door, letting Daphne and her assistant out, followed by her security guard, Isaac. Isaac hefted their suitcases out of the back of the vehicle as Daphne surveyed the property in front of her.

The mission-styled house was usually very serene and quiet, with a large garden in the front and the back. It was built into the hillside, with multiple floors cascading down the cliff it sat on. The driveway was gravel and the house was an adobe finish, with lots of southwestern influences. Her grandfather had always been a big supporter of the Native American causes and had passed his wealth of knowledge and beliefs onto Daphne. It looked as though the landscaping had been well-tended and maintained in her absence. Even now, with several crew members sitting in the back garden, the landscaping seemed to be untouched.

The bright Los Angeles sunshine warmed her skin as she took in the incredible vistas in front of her. At night, she had a beautiful view of the Sunset Strip and of the rest of Hollywood. It was odd that a place where she spent so little time was the only place she really felt as though she belonged. The life of a jet-setting movie star was often a lonely one. She climbed the front steps and walked into the open front door. The front of the house was as unassuming as the interior was extravagant. They were complete opposites. And Daphne designed it that way; she didn't enjoy people openly displaying their outrageous wealth (like the Kardashians or Hiltons had a habit of doing) and instead preferred to keep a low profile. She wanted her house to blend in as best as it could alongside the other mansions in the Hills.

She entered the house and was nearly run over by a young woman scurrying about, looking for something. The young woman didn't even glance at Daphne as she rushed past her, causing her to have to step up onto the spiral stone staircase that led to the second floor to avoid being run down. She watched another young man with several drum sticks come rushing back inside. She walked on, followed by Kelly and Isaac, and walked to the railing that stood at the top of a landing that looked out into the great room below them. The furniture had all been cleared away and several instruments were set up in front of the large stone fireplace that dominated the wall beneath her. She poked her head around the stone chimney and saw a drum set, two guitars, and a microphone. She saw three men sitting on chairs that had been set up for them, chatting quietly and looking at their phones.

She cleared her throat quietly, the noise being lost among the other echoing happening from the chattering of the crowd in the house. Kelly had gone off to speak with Neil on the phone, leaving Daphne alone with Isaac. She quickly sent him to drop off her bags in her bedroom. She descended the stairs into the room, removing her sunglasses and taking her hair out of the ponytail it had been up in. One of the seated men glanced over at her offhandedly and did a double take before shooting out of his chair as if a firecracker had gone off under his ass.

"Holy shit, you're Daphne Brando," he said quickly and full of surprise.

She gave him the same sweet smile she gave all of her fans. "I guess I am," she said with a hint of a laugh in her voice. The other two men stood up just as quickly when she spoke.

Upon seeing his face and hearing him speak, she immediately recognized him as Jared Leto, the actor who won for Best Supporting Actor the year beforehand at the Academy Awards. She hadn't met him before, though she had been at the awards show that night. Generally speaking, once you win, you're too busy doing press and photo-ops to really have time to meet people. Awards shows were something Daphne knew very well, especially the Academy Awards, having won four since she had turned sixteen. She was widely considered to be the darling of the Academy since she had won her first in 2005, the same year her grandfather had been honored for his work after his passing. Many considered it a "passing of the torch" so to speak.

"Jared Leto," he said, holding his hand out to her after the initial shock of the moment wore off.

She shook his hand. "I know who you are," she said with a smile. "We haven't met before, but I saw you win. Well-deserved," she said in response to his confused look.

He nodded in understanding. "This is my brother Shannon," he said, stepping aside to allow another man, with short brown hair and sunglasses to shake her hand.

"Big fan of your work," he said, taking off his sunglasses and shaking her hand. She nodded in appreciation of his compliment.

"This is Tomo," Jared continued, introducing the third man who had wonky teeth but a sweet smile. After the introductions were finished, Jared spoke again. "What exactly are you doing here? Not to be rude or anything, but nobody told us anything about other people coming."

She nodded. "Yeah, I live here."

He blinked in response. "Oh, right. I-nobody-we didn't know."

She nodded again, walking around the room, looking out the large windows. "We don't usually publicize that fact," she said with a small laugh. "For obvious reasons," she added after a moment.

Jared nodded in understanding. "Forgive me, but I thought we had the house for a day or two more?" he asked, walking toward her. "We can leave if you want," he added with a smile. "I can't believe we'd screw up like this. We've never really filmed in a residence before, so I'm so sorry if we're disturbing you or anything."

She held up a hand to stop him. "It's really not a big deal. I grew up on sets, so this is really no different," she said with a laugh. "I was actually just stopping in to drop some things off and then I have a meeting in Burbank to get to. So I won't be long."

Jared nodded. "Still, we can try to be out of here before you get back," he said, reaching for his phone and hurriedly firing off several text messages to people.

"Take your time," she insisted. "It's not that big of a deal, really. You guys do whatever you need to do. I'll get out of your hair," she said, walking back up the stairs. "It was really nice to meet you. Perhaps we'll meet again," she said with a flirty wink and smile before disappearing.

Jared stared at the spot where she stood for several seconds after she left. "That was unexpected," he said simply after a few moments of silence.

"Dude, we just met Marlon Brando's granddaughter," Tomo said with a hint of a fan-girl episode coming on.

Shannon smiled at his brother. "She is so much hotter in person," he added, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "How have we not met her before?"

Jared shrugged, not really listening to his band mates. Instead, his mind was muddled and he was left feeling foggy after his brief conversation with her. She had her grandfather's trademark dusky stare that had a way of captivating audiences. It had certainly done its job on him.


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't know how you are so familiar to me-or why it feels less like I am getting to know you more and more as though I am remembering who you are. How every smile, every whisper brings me closer to the impossible conclusion that I have known you before, I have loved you before-in another time, a different place, some other existence." -Lang Laev.

"The hard fact of it is that you just don't have the time, Daphne," Karen Jameson said, swiveling around in her chair.

Karen Jameson had been Daphne's agent since she had started her career. They had both sort of scratched each other's backs. Karen had helped book Daphne in some of the biggest films of her career while Daphne had taken an inexperienced talent agent and turned her into an industry name. Theirs was a mutually beneficial relationship.

"Between shooting in Las Vegas for 'Burnout' and doing press for it-you know how fast the turnaround is in T.V. - you'll be working literally right up to the first day of filming. I can't negotiate it any further," Karen said.

The pair had been at odds for a while about a part that Daphne had wanted to play desperately in a small independent film. However, as was often the case for her busy schedule, she didn't have time to devote to it using the filming schedule she had been provided. It just couldn't work.

Daphne sighed. "Alright, I guess I'll pull out of it."

Karen nodded and wrote something down on the legal pad in front of her. "Now, you got the Ayer script I had faxed to you this morning?"

Daphne nodded. "I've read it, Karen. But I just don't know if I'm ready for it."

"You know they won't make it without you being in it," the older woman said, looking over her half-moon glasses.

Daphne nodded. "I know. And if they've got that much of a hard-on to make it then they're going to have to find someone to replace me."

Karen nodded, taking the hint. "At least speak with David before officially declining. Hear him out."

"I plan to. I've got a phone call with him this evening. There are a few things I want to discuss with him," Daphne replied.

Karen nodded. "Good girl," she said with a smile. "You always were very involved in the creative process."

Daphne gave her a polite smile. "I mostly plan to tell him to stop asking me."

Karen paused, letting Daphne's words sink in. "Well, that's always an option. But be careful not to piss him off. Your relationship with directors is everything."

Daphne nodded. "I've been thinking," she paused. "What if I just took a bit of time off?"

Karen glanced at Kelly who shrugged in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I thought about it back when I did 'The Hobbit' films. It seemed like a good place to stop," Daphne said. "If I didn't get this Gilligan project, I probably would have stopped."

"Well, it's certainly an option. I mean you have worked really hard for a long time," Karen said. "I wouldn't blame you for taking some time off."

Karen Jameson had been able to get Daphne so many jobs by having abbreviated contracts. Many of her projects had been possible because of Karen's viciousness in negotiations. At this point, negotiations weren't so much negotiations as they were simply Daphne agreeing to something or giving stipulations for changes for things she didn't like. She literally had all the power.

"But you do have a lot of roles pouring in. Many of them are just waiting to hear if you're even interested," Karen produced a list of different projects. "Quite a few of them have very flexible start dates or haven't even gotten the green light yet for financing. Adding you to their cast list would certainly help."

Daphne nodded and stretched in her chair. The sun had set over the city and she could see the last rays of light flickering through Karen's large window. "Alright," she said, standing up. "I've got to get back to the house and make that call to David."

Karen nodded and they exchanged goodbyes as Daphne walked out of the office. As usual, there were photographers waiting outside the building as Daphne walked to the car.

"Daphne, any new projects you want to share with us?" one paparazzi asked.

She shot him a smirk. "If I told you, where would the surprise be?" With that, she got into the car and they drove off.

"I think the group is done filming there for the day," Kelly said, checking her phone's messages. "Neil told me they're done for the rest of the time you're here."

Daphne gave her a nod as she scrolled through her messages on her phone. Several new ones had popped up while she was in the meeting with Karen. One from Leo, asking how she was doing. Another from Aaron Paul, wishing her luck as shooting began for her new project. Still several more from various other celebrities. She knew more famous people than you could shake a stick at. Only to her, they weren't famous, they were simply normal people.

The car arrived back home and dropped her off. Kelly gave Daphne David's phone number and left in the car, leaving Daphne alone. She sighed as she shut the front door behind herself, amazed at the pure silence that met her. She sighed and sank down onto the stone spiral staircase next to the front door, dialing David's number. It rang twice before an answer came through.

"Hello?" a voice met her ear.

"Hey, David?" she asked into the phone casually. "It's Daphne Brando. You sent me a script earlier today."

"Daphne! Yes! Hello!" the older man stumbled across his words. She thought it was kind of cute in a nerdy way. "Thanks so much for calling me. You've read the script?"

"I have, yes," she started. He cut her off.

"That's awesome. I know you probably have a certain amount of feelings over taking this role on again, but I really feel like this is the perfect one for you," he said.

She sighed and tried to sound kind. "I understand that, but I just don't think this version of the character is the same as she was in 'Dark Knight'," she insisted.

"I know, and that's the point," he replied. "The story line for this film is focused more on Ophelia's relationship with the Joker and everything that transpires between them. Literally, everything they left out in 'Dark Knight'. I really think now is the time for you to play this role. I really think you've got what it takes now."

She paused for a minute. The script was much more mature and the story line for her character was much more developed than it had been in the past. Ophelia is drugged by the Joker and he steals the child he fathered with her upon finding out that they are both being hunted by other members of the Suicide Squad and the rest of the film focused on him trying to balance keeping her in the dark about what really happened to the child and making sure the other members find her first.

"It is much more evolved," she conceded. "But I just don't know if I could ever see anyone else as the Joker. Not after Heath."

"I know, and I understand completely," he said. "Look, I'm flying to L.A. on Wednesday. I have a few things to take care of. Could we maybe meet up and you could have a chat with some of the other people involved in the film?"

She sighed and agreed. "Sure, why not."

"I also want you to meet one of the other actors we're thinking about signing," he added. "I really think you two would get along really well."

She nodded unconsciously before realizing that David probably couldn't see her nodding. "Yeah, no problem."

With that, he hung up. Daphne realized that he had basically just played her. Classic Hollywood manipulation at its best. She laughed wryly to herself and made a mental note to keep David in her sights from then on. She sighed and hoisted herself up off the stairs before climbing them and heading for her room. It had been left untouched since she had left to go on her last big excursion. Her suitcases had been left on the floor in front of the large walk in closet. One wall was covered in photographs. The most important ones were displayed prominently in the center at eye level. Her favorite photo was one her father had taken of herself and her grandfather shortly after he began sending her to live with him. He was sitting with Daphne on his lap, holding a bongo in his hands, showing her how to play it. She smiled each time she saw it because it summed up their relationship perfectly.

Her grandfather was always teaching her, even when she wasn't exactly willing student. He would spend hours telling her stories about his marches for civil rights and all the things he worked for in his life. He had endless stories about his filming experiences as well. His repertoire was never empty or repeated. Daphne had even gotten into the habit of recording them for posterity, though she doubted anyone would ever hear them but herself. She had mostly recorded them so she had something to remind her of him when she was away filming in New Zealand for 'Lord of the Rings'. He hadn't been able to stay the entire time so he had entrusted her to Sean Astin who seemed to be the most mature of the cast members at the time, having a wife and two kids.

A shelf housed the most important awards she had: the Oscar she had won for 'Risk' in 2005, the one from 2008 for 'Pirates', her 2010 award for 'Hurt Locker', her most recent one for 'Argo' in 2013. She had many other awards on her shelves and on display from other functions, but she had a special place in her heart for the Oscars she had won. Her grandfather's two Academy awards were on either end, on display, having been left to her in his will. She glanced around the room at the familiar photos and gifts she had been given: a pair of elf ears for 'Rings', a sword from 'Pirates' sat in its scabbard, a corset from 'A Great and Terrible Beauty' hung in her closet next to the elaborate costume she'd worn when she'd done 'Risk'. As her eyes scanned the room, they landed on a guitar sitting on her bed.

She walked over, grinning slightly because she knew exactly where it had come from. She picked it up and strummed it lightly, enjoying the light sound as it echoed through the room. Guitar was just one of the instruments her grandfather had taught her how to play and had encouraged her to spend time learning. Many lazy afternoons had been spent with him listening to her play concertos on the cello or violin and doing scales on the piano. She didn't think she had a future in music, by any means, but it was a nice way to spend time together.

Daphne smiled as she dialed Neil's number. "Hey, Neil," she said quickly. "I need the contact info of the group that rented my house."

"Why? Is there damage?" he asked hurriedly.

"No nothing. It's just-one of them left something behind and I think they'll want it back," she responded, turning the guitar over in her hands.

Neil gave her the number she was looking for and she quickly called it.

"Emma Ludbrook," the female voice on the other end said.

"Hey, Emma, it's Daphne Brando," she said quickly.

"Oh-uh-hi!" she replied in surprise. "I-um-how can I-uh-help you?"

"Your guys were filming at my house earlier today and they left behind a guitar. I think Jared'll be wanting it back," Daphne said simply. "Could I have his number to let him know I've got it?"

Emma stuttered some more before giving her Jared's number. "Can I just say-I don't do this often-but I'm a huge fan of yours."

Daphne smiled in gratitude. "Thank you so much. That means a lot to me."

She ended the conversation as quickly as it began and started to dial Jared's number. She spoke immediately when he answered. "You left a guitar at my house," she said simply.

A stunned silence was on the other end of the line. "I-uh-what?"

She could hear a lot of background noise as raised her voice to compensate. He must have been at a party. "It's Daphne. You left a guitar at my house."

"How did you get my number?" he asked. The background noise dissipated and she assumed he had left the area.

"From Emma, whose number I got from Neil, who rented you guys the place," Daphne responded simply.

"Geez, I thought I'd have been a bit harder to track down than that," he said with a slight laugh.

"When you throw in my name, it usually knocks down quite a few walls," she answered with a grin. "Anyways, I just wanted to let you know I had your guitar and I could have it messengered over or whatever works best for you."

He laughed lightly. "No, I left it there on purpose. To add to your collection of beautiful things. You can keep it."

She felt a slight blush rising in her cheeks. "Are you flirting with me?" she asked playfully.

"Maybe. Come out with me sometime and we'll see," Jared replied. She could hear the smile on his voice.

She laughed. "I don't know. I'll have to think about it."

"That's better than an outright 'no'," he laughed. Now that you have my number you can call anytime you want."

"I'm sure I will," she said sweetly before hanging up.

It was the funniest thing, but she felt as though she had known Jared forever, yet had never met him. At the same time, she felt that she knew everything there was to know about him, but that they had never spoken a word. She shook her head and set the guitar on the arm chair in the corner, heading into the bathroom to clean up before bed.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'll wrap my hands around your neck, so tight with love, love." -30STM

"I have Daphne Brando here to see you, Mr. Ayer," the young woman sitting in front of a door called into the room. She received an affirmative response and waved Daphne into the room.

Daphne took a deep breath and walked past her into the room. She saw several people sitting around a table littered with piles of paper. She recognized David, but had a harder time putting faces to names with the others seated next to him. He stood when she entered the room.

"Daphne, glad you could make it," David said, giving her a cursory kiss on the cheek. "I was wondering, could you just wait there for a minute?" She glanced around and stood there awkwardly. It was starting to feel more and more like an audition. "Send him in, please?" David called through the door, walking back to sit at the table as another person came into the room.

Daphne bit her lip upon seeing who it was. Jared walked through the door, long hair flowing behind him. He slid off his sunglasses and put them on the collar of his thermal shirt, giving David a nod before facing her.

"Daphne, I just want to try something with you two," David said, motioning with his pencil. "I just want to see you two face each other. I want you to get as close as you physically can, without actually touching."

Daphne sighed and bit her tongue, fighting the urge to walk out. She knew exactly what he was doing. And she hadn't agreed to audition for the role. Yet here she was. She took a deep breath and faced Jared, trying to keep her composure. He gave her an apprehensive gaze, glancing at David who gave him a nod to continue. They started out at arm's length distance from each other, waiting, watching to see who would move first. It was a very interesting game of Chicken. Daphne looked at him, keeping his gaze carefully. He took a step forward after a few seconds, seeing that she wasn't going to initiate anything.

"Okay, now make eye contact and hold it until I tell you to stop," David's voice drifted across the room.

Daphne let out a quiet sigh as their eyes met. Jared was close enough that she could have reached out for his hand if she had wanted to. Instead, she simply fixed him with her signature dark gaze and waited. He took another giant step closer, leaving only inches between their faces. She stared into his blue eyes, trying to keep a straight face about it all. She had literally been duped into an audition she hadn't even accepted by a director very few people were really taking seriously yet. It was quite humorous to her and she couldn't believe that it had happened. A small smile spread across her face.

Jared squinted his eyes slightly at her smile and bit his lip. They were literally millimeters from each other's faces, close enough to kiss and electricity had filled the room. Daphne couldn't hear David or the others talking, all she was focusing on was Jared and his eyes that seemed to draw her in and shut her out all at the same time. Just then, David walked over to Jared and whispered something in his ear. Jared didn't move, but he certainly heard him speak. David walked away, whispering with the others who were sitting at the table watching. Then slowly, torturously, Jared brought his hand up to Daphne's neck, wrapping his fingers around it and settling his palm against it softly. This forced her to slowly lift her head up to face him even more. He applied very light pressure, but she did not break eye contact with him. He pulled her closer to his face, nearly touching his lips to hers.

There was a mixture of sexual tension, fear, and an odd type of trust between the two of them that David had never seen before. "Okay, Jared. Let her go," he said softly, as if he was afraid to break the scene in front of him up.

Jared slowly released Daphne's neck, letting his fingers trail softly down her chest and between her breasts for added affect. She blinked multiple times, trying process everything that had just happened. Even as David started speaking, Daphne had a hard time fully paying attention because of the whirlwind her mind was in.

"He'll make an excellent Joker," Daphne heard someone say softly.

She blinked again. "Wait, you want HIM to be the Joker?" she asked in disbelief. She glanced at Jared. Sure he had talent-anyone could see that. But she was not interested in a copycat of Heath's. "I'm sorry-no offence, Jared- but I don't think anyone could ever match what you need for this film." David nodded in silence. "And quite frankly, David, I have told you multiple times I do not want to be a part of this film and you just can't seem to get that. I don't want to do it."

With that, she walked out, leaving everyone in a stunned silence. David turned to Jared and spoke. "I thought this would work. I thought if we got you two in the same room and she got a hint of what you wanted to do, that she'd be on board. But I guess not." He sank back in his chair in defeat, rubbing his temples and shaking his head.

"Let me talk to her," Jared said simply. "I think I can get her."

David looked up in surprise. "Jared, you two don't even know each other. What makes you think she'd listen to you?"

He shrugged in response. "Well she's certainly done listening to you." He walked toward the door. "Besides, if I tell her what I want to do and what I think would work, she may just listen to me. You never know."

David shrugged. "You're free to give it a try, but I'm the fourth director that has basically begged her to do this film. Every time she gives the same answer. This time I thought she liked this version of the script better, but still. She's not interested."

"Just let me try it and see if I can get her to change her mind," he insisted.

David nodded. "Thanks for coming in all the same. I know you're busy."

Jared nodded and gave everyone a smile before leaving the room. He rushed down the stairs to the garage, hoping to catch Daphne before she left. However, he was unsuccessful. So he settled for going to her house and trying to talk with her there. The gates were locked-as usual in most Hollywood houses-so he had to call her and hope she'd pick up his call. He was in luck.

"What?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"Can I just come in?" Jared asked, looking around. "People are starting to stare and if they find out who I am, it'll be all over the papers tomorrow."

He heard her sigh and the gates opened shortly afterward. He pulled into the driveway and parked, heading up to the front door. It swung open before he had a chance to knock.

"Did David send you to do his bidding?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Uh-no, actually. This is all me," he replied, stepping inside the house.

He followed her through the complicated floor, down a short set of stairs, and into the kitchen. It was obvious the house had been designed by one of those crazy architects that loved angles and strange layouts because there were quite a few twists and turns and levels in the house.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told David five times already: I'm not interested," she said, walking to the refrigerator and pulling a pitcher of water from it.

"Will you just hear me out and listen to what I want to do with the character?" Jared asked, standing in front of the kitchen island.

She stopped pouring water, set the pitcher down, and turned to face him. "Two minutes."

He took a deep breath before starting. "He's motivated by several different things: he's selfish and dehumanizes people, but he's also got this whole other level that hasn't been explored yet. Especially with this story line. He has a family and he just doesn't know how to be in one. So he destroys it on purpose."

She blinked, folding her arms across her chest.

He continued. "I also see this version as sexier but also slightly more effeminate one. He's smart and manipulative. He manipulates Ophelia into thinking she has made these choices when in reality he has made them for her. I really want to delve into his psyche a bit and explore what his relationship with her is and what he is using her for-because he only uses people, right?"

She didn't give him a response.

"But he's also got such a convoluted back story that I really want to bring that into things and see how those past experiences have created the beautiful disaster he's become. Plus it's so incredible that the entire thing is in his head at the end, that Ophelia doesn't actually exist and it's just this whole elaborate ruse his brain cooks up to protect him from his past," he added.

She nodded but didn't respond. Her face broke into a smile and she started to laugh. He gave her a confused look. "You realize how incredibly pretentious you sound right now?"

He blinked and nodded, a blush rising to his cheeks. "Yeah, maybe a little." He walked around the island to be closer to her. "But the point is there's so much I want to do with this character that I really think would be so interesting to play out. And it's obvious you and I have a chemistry between us that the Joker and Ophelia need."

She sighed. "You know the movie is only like two hours long, right?"

He smiled and nodded. "That's why I need a great co-star so it can be conveyed more effectively and efficiently." She handed him a glass of water and their fingers brushed as he took it from her. "There's no doubt that you've certainly got the ability to do that."

"Now you're just being an open flirt," she said with a smile.

"Is it working?" he asked with a chuckle. She gave him a good stare and he laughed harder. "But seriously, can I ask why you are so adamant about not being in this film?"

She sighed and leaned against the island in silence. "It's complicated," she said after a few minutes.

"Is it really just about Heath?" he asked softly.

"Sort of," she said gently. "It's more that I don't think I could handle it if I had to work with someone else in the same role. Everyone will expect you to be a certain way. They'll expect you to have elements of his performance in yours because it was so incredible."

"And you don't want that," Jared said in understanding.

She shook her head. "No. I don't. I don't want to work with a copy-cat of him. I don't want to work with someone who's trying too hard to be him."

They stood in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "I can't imagine what that must have been like for you, to lose someone you were close with."

Daphne didn't respond. It wasn't just that they were close. It was that they had this connection between them that had existed for several years prior to them actually working together. Some people speculated that Heath and Michelle had ended their relationship because of Daphne. It was never confirmed by either party, but people still suspected it on account of the amount of time they spent together. Not to mention rumor had it that Heath was the reason Daphne got cast in 'Dark Knight'. Many people doubted her ability to portray Ophelia and there was a lot of suspense regarding how she'd do. Of course when the film opened, much of the attention was on Heath's performance, but a good number of people were pleasantly surprised that she had done so well.

"You were in love with him, weren't you?" he asked gently.

She scoffed. "I was twenty years old. I didn't really know what love was. He was a divorcee with a kid," her gaze nearly leveled him. "No. I didn't love him. Not romantically at least. We just had this uncanny ability to understand exactly what the other was saying or thinking. We worked really well together. He was a good friend."

Jared nodded. "I get it. You can't see anyone else in that role besides him. But just let me explain everything I want to do. Let me show you the sketches and everything I want to do with it. Then you can decide."

She looked at him in apprehension, and then shook her head. "Fine. I guess. What else do I have to lose?"

His smiling face looked like a child in a candy store and leaned back against the island. "You're serious?" he asked.

"I know who you are, Jared. I've heard about you and your methods. I know you do loads of research and character work before you decide on a role," she said, walking toward him. "I also know you work really hard to make sure your roles are true and you are just an all-around good person."

He gave her a surprised look. "Stalking me?"

She laughed. "Not really. More just that I have people who checked into you."

He smiled and nodded. "Still kind of stalking, though."

She rolled her eyes. "I can still say no, too," she reminded him with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

"As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen." - A. A. Milne  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FIVE MONTHS LATER

"Now, we've got a great line up on the show tonight," Graham Norton said as he opened his show with his usual monologue. "We've got music and chat with Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto, as well as his band Thirty Seconds to Mars." A large cheer rose up from the audience, making Graham laugh. "You love them, you really do. And the star of the hit new television series 'Burnout', Oscar-winning golden girl Daphne Brando is here along with her costar Jack O'Connell!" Loads of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd, nearly knocking him over. "Well, I fear for my life if we don't get some guests on soon, so without further delay, it's Thirty Seconds to Mars, everyone!"

The camera panned across the sound stage to the performance stage where the band shot into an upbeat song. The audience was cheering and clapping and Daphne could hear them all the way back in her dressing room. She glanced up from the script she was reading when a producer appeared at her door, followed by her costar, Jack O'Connell.

"Daphne, are you ready?" she asked, shifting her clipboard from one arm to the other.

Daphne nodded and got up, making sure her dress hadn't ridden up over her ass. For some unknown reason, her stylist insisted upon dressing her in extremely short dresses whenever she could. She told Daphne time and time again that she had amazing legs and should show them off, but Daphne would much rather be wearing sweatpants or pajamas than sky-high heels and mini dresses. She took Jack's offered hand and they followed the assistant down the hallway. They were doing press for the new season of their show 'Burnout'. It had just released in the USA and was due to be released in the UK that night. There was a lot of buzz going around about it. Daphne sighed as she tried to remember all of the talking points she'd have to cover and everything she wasn't allowed to reveal. It never failed that right before she did any press, she always felt a bit nervous, no matter how many times she'd done press. Media training could only do so much for nerves.

"That was phenomenal!" Graham said, applauding alongside the audience. "Come, sit yourselves down over here," he added, gesturing for the trio to come over to his famous red sofa.

Daphne watched on the backstage monitor as Jared, Tomo, and Shannon walked over to the other half of the stage and sat on the sofa, to much cheering and applause.

"Alright, you're on next," the producer said, speaking into her headset.

Daphne felt Jack squeeze her hand reassuringly and he gave her a charming smile.

"Alright, I'm so excited about our next guests," Graham said after Jared and everyone had settled down a bit. "She is an Academy Award winning actress and he is an amazing rising star in Hollywood right now. Please help me welcome the stars of the much-anticipated new series 'Burnout', Daphne Brando and Jack O'Connell!"

Daphne followed Jack out onto the stage, carefully climbing the stairs in her hells. He helped steady her at the top, but it was not enough to help because she was immediately deafened by the audience's screaming. Graham walked over to greet them, giving Jack a firm handshake and Daphne a kiss on the cheek. She gave him a smile, unable to hear him speak. She followed Jack over to the sofa, greeting Jared, Shannon, and Tomo with kisses on their cheeks. They all sat down on the sofa, Daphne very carefully so as not to flash anyone in her short skirt.

"My God," Jared said when the audience had slightly died down and they could kind of hear each other again. "It sounds like Jesus just walked in!"

Everyone laughed and cheered again, making Daphne blush.

"It is quite crazy," Graham responded, glancing at the audience. "They love you two," he said to Daphne and Jack.

"Correction," Jack said. "They love HER," he joked, pointing at Daphne, who was sat between him and Jared in the middle of the sofa. "I think there may be three people out there that are cheering for me."

Everyone laughed and Graham picked up his question cards, turning to face them. "It really is crazy. Daphne, are you used to it yet?"

She smiled. "I mean, you get used to it after a while," she said. "But it's always a massive shock to come out to that type of greeting."

"Now, Jared, you and Daphne have one thing in common-the Oscars," Graham said as the audience erupted into more cheers. "Jared, you won this past year for 'Dallas Buyer's Club', which was an amazing performance," more cheers. "But Daphne you've won multiple Oscars."

She nodded, smiling at the cheering directed toward her. "Yeah, a few," she said modestly. "I was there when he won and I thought his acceptance speech was beautiful." She smiled at Jared.

"And you were in 'American Sniper' and 'Gone Girl' as well, so congratulations on that," he said, with lots of cheers. "You two have met before, though, right?" Graham asked, indicating Jared and Daphne.

"We have, but very, very briefly," Jared responded. "We filmed a music video in her house, actually," he said, indicating his bandmates.

Graham gave him a knowing look. "But you two have some really big news though, right?"

Daphne glanced at Jared, waiting to see if he'd speak first. He gave her a nod and she spoke instead. "Well, we're now officially allowed to announce that we're working on a film together called 'Suicide Squad' that's based off of the DC Comics series. David Ayer is directing it, so it's going to be really good." The audience cheered some more. Daphne shared a smile with Jared, who nudged her.

"We are the first two cast right now, but I'm sure I'll be an amazing cast and we're both really excited to work on it," Jared answered.

"Ooo, I'm sure it will be," Graham said, a gleeful look on his face. "Now, Jared, Shannon, and Tomo, you three are on the last leg of your tour?"

Shannon nodded. "Yeah, we're headed to Russia and Eastern Europe for a few weeks tomorrow, so we're really excited about that. It's been about a year and a half since we've been back and we love to see our fans there."

"The album is really good," Graham said, holding a copy of the disk up for the camera to see. The iconic Damien Hirsch album art was hard to miss. "It's really upbeat, but it's also almost a bit of a departure from what you've done in the past."

"I just heard it today and I thought I was amazing," Jack added. "I thought the percussion work was incredible. Really good."

Shannon gave him a nod of appreciation.

"We wanted to do something different," Tomo added. "You know, our previous album 'This is War' was written and recorded while we were being sued for thirty million dollars by our record label, so there was quite a bit of anger and confusion in there."

"And this one, we had much more creative freedom and it was much more relaxing," Jared added. "We were able to actually enjoy the recording process without the heaviness of a lawsuit over our heads or the stress of needing to be successful that you can sometimes get from record labels."

"And you broke a Guinness World Record, correct?" Graham asked, looking down at his notes.

"Yeah, we played over three hundred shows on tour for that album," Jared confirmed.

"That's amazing," Graham said. "Speaking of records," he turned to Daphne. "You are currently tied with Katharine Hepburn for the most Academy Awards won by an actor."

The audience applauded, as did everyone on the sofa next to her. "Yeah, it's sort of surreal and crazy and it's surprised me every time I've won."

"Are you aiming to break that record?" Graham asked.

"No, not really," Daphne said. "I mean, I don't really do the work I do for the awards. I do it because I enjoy it and I have a skill for it. I love acting because I get to tell stories and bring characters to life; I don't do it because I can win an Oscar or Golden Globe or whatever it may be. They're nice perks, but it's not my main focus."

"You were sixteen when you won the first one, right?" Graham asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I kind of wish I wasn't as young. Your life literally changes overnight when you win such a big award-I'm sure Jared can confirm that," she glanced at him next to her.

"It does. Photographers were camped outside of my house the next morning, which hasn't happened ever," he said with a smile. "I think they were more focused on whether or not I was leaving alone in the morning, though," he laughed.

"Now, Jack, you and Daphne star in a new series called 'Burnout'. Tell us a bit about it," Graham asked, turning toward Jack who had been relatively quiet to that point.

He nodded. "It's a great TV series done by Vince Gilligan who wrote 'Breaking Bad' and Diablo Cody who wrote 'Juno' and 'Untied States of Tara'. It's really well done and got so many amazing characters in it."

"Yeah," Daphne added. "I play the daughter of a mob boss who sort of inherits her father's business after he dies. Jack's character is the one everyone expects will take control of it because he's her brother, but it ends up going to my character, Evangeline. The first season sort of follows her trying to learn the ropes and figure out how to run this whole thing. Viggo Mortenson plays my character's adviser of sorts and there are loads of twists and turns as to what is really going on."

Graham nodded. "And it's kind of a mafia crime series," he added.

"Kind of," Daphne said. "It does have a bit of that element in it, but it mostly focuses on her and how this job sort of changes her. That's why I was drawn to it. There's such a massive character arc in this first season alone."

"Because you tend to steer clear of the stereotypical mafia films, right?" Graham asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to be typecast. For obvious reasons," she laughed.

"So I hear there's a bit of a prank war going on between you two?" Graham asked, looking at Jack and Daphne, who broke out laughing. He gestured to the screen behind him where a photo had come up of a house with bras and underwear strung across the front of it. "Care to explain this?" Everyone laughed when they saw it.

"So we lived together for the four months or whatever that it took us to film this first season," Daphne started, nudging Jack. "Initially it was kind of awkward and to lighten the mood I decided it would be fun to prank him."

"You didn't prank me, you gave me a heart attack," he replied laughing. "She woke me up by blasting the 'Circle of Life' from 'The Lion King' in my ear at like three in the morning."

Everyone laughed and clapped. "It worked, but he retaliated by rewiring my car horn to my brake pedal," Daphne said. "Which, in Las Vegas isn't a good thing. There's lots of stop-and-go traffic so it was kind of annoying. I got lots of strange looks from people for a while until I got it fixed."

"Then she stole my shoes," Jack replied.

"Not all of them, just the left ones," she corrected him. "And I hid them around the house. It took him weeks to find them all."

"That is hilarious," Jared said, laughing hard.

"And he got me back by doing that," Daphne continued, pointing at the screen and the photo. "I came back from set one day and found all of my bras and underwear tacked up like Christmas lights across the front of the house."

"That's really good," Graham laughed, looking at Jack. "But aren't you scared about what she'll do next? I mean, you did hang her knickers out for everyone to see."

"I haven't gotten him back yet, so it's actually fun to watch him squirm," Daphne said, nudging Jack playfully. He nodded in defeat.

"I'm waiting but I think I'll have to wait a bit longer because I think we've called a truce until we're back filming again," he replied.

"Eh, now, Jared Leto, I hear you've gotten a new tattoo, correct?" Graham asked, turning towards Jared.

"Yes, I do. It's the second part in a series I'm getting," Jared rolled up his sleeve on one arm to show off the design.

"And your fans have gotten some of the same ones, right?" Graham asked.

The crowd cheered and Jared gave them a smile. "They have. But I never encourage it. I'm of the belief that tattoos are personal and should be a personal journey, but I think it's awesome that we have such dedicated fans."

"Now, we've shown this before, Jack," Graham said, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "Your tattoo from 'Skins'."

Jack laughed and blushed a little, nervously rubbing his ear. "I don't think I'll ever live that one down."

An image popped up on the television screen behind Graham of Jack's ass with a set of female hands, manicure and all, grabbing his cheeks. The audience cheered loudly. Jared got up and examined the photo closer and looked at Jack.

"Is that real?" he asked with a laugh.

Jack shook his head. "God, no. They painted it on for my character," he laughed.

"But you do have several tattoos though, right?" Graham asked, holding his interview cards in front of him.

"I do indeed. Multiple," Jack confirmed, giving the audience a wink, to which they all swooned.

And Jared, Shannon, and Tomo, you all presumably have a few," Graham continued. "Yes, we can see Shannon's there on his neck."

Shannon smiled. "I kind of follow the same ideology that Jared does in terms of tattoos. I think they're a great art form that tell great stories."

"But Daphne, you have some as well, don't you? And they all have meaning?" Graham asked her.

"I do. I've got an elfish symbol for 'Rings', the lightning scar for 'Harry Potter', a cross for 'Risk', the Dharma Initiative logo for 'Lost', a smaller version of the pirate brand for 'Pirates', and a few others," she said, listing them off on her fingers. "But they're all small. I don't think I could do anything really big."

"But you just got one in memory of Heath, right?" Graham asked. The audience was silent in acknowledgement of the mention of the departed actor.

She took a deep breath. "Yeah, I did. I recently got a 'J' for him."

"Now, this should be interesting though, with Jared playing the Joker and you having worked with Heath before. Who do you think will give the better performance?" Graham asked.

Daphne sighed, biting her lip. She'd known this would come up in the questions after the announcement, but she hadn't quite prepared her for it.

"Honestly, we will have to wait and see. So far all I've seen are concept drawings and things on paper from Jared and David," she said. "We'll have to wait and see how things go with his performance to really tell. But I think they'll both be excellent performances in their own right and I think comparing them is like comparing apples to oranges. They're two completely different actors and they'll likely be two completely different versions of the same character."

"Jack what was your initial reaction to hearing you'd be working with Daphne," Graham asked.

Jack smiled at Daphne and took a sip of the water in front of him. "Obviously I was out of this world in excitement. I mean, she's a legend all to herself and to have the opportunity to even be in the same room as her is amazing, but to get to live with her for four months and see her every day and interact with her as much as I've been able to."

Daphne rolled her eyes at the praise he was heaping onto her. She gave him a joking smile.

"But seriously, Daphne, you're like Hollywood gold. Your films together have grossed over twenty-eight billion dollars. It's insanity," Graham said over the audience's applause.

"I guess that's what it is," she laughed. "I don't really pay attention to it. It's such an absurdly large number I can't even take it seriously."

"Not really when you consider you've been in many of the most profitable film series in cinema history," he looked at his cards. "'Lord of the Rings', 'Harry Potter', 'Pirates of the Caribbean', those are all massive."

"Yeah, I guess so," she laughed in slight embarrassment. "Like I said, I don't do it for the money or anything. I do it because I enjoy the characters. The commercial success is just an added bonus."

"But you had to know that 'Harry Potter' would explode," he asked her.

She shook her head. "Not really. I mean, we started filming 'Chamber of Secrets' literally days after the first one came out. So it could have been a flop and no more films could have been made. It wouldn't have been the first time books didn't translate when put into film."

"So this is the first time you've been on the show," Graham started, glancing at her and Jared, Shannon, and Tomo.

"Yeah, I can't believe I haven't been yet. I feel like with all the press I've done, I should have come here at least once," she replied.

"Well, you're here now," he replied with a laugh. "Now, I hear you've got another surprise for us here?" he asked, looking at Jack.

Jack nodded, leaning back against the sofa as he glanced at Daphne with a smirk. It was obvious the two of them had an incredible bond and the audience seemed to enjoy watching them interact. "We certainly do, Graham. Do you want to take it there, love?"

She smiled at him. "We come bearing gifts in the form of the very first look at the first season of 'Burnout'." The audience cheered wildly. "Vince saw how huge 'Breaking Bad' became over here, so he wanted to repay you all by giving you this little sneak peak."

"I rarely have to do warnings before we run clips, but-uh-if you don't like violence, you may want to look away," Graham said laughing. "Here it is, the first look at the much-anticipated 'Burnout'."


	5. Chapter 5

"She was like the moon-part of her was always hidden away." -Dia Reeves

"Great show, everyone," Graham Norton said as the cameras shut off and the audience applauded. "Thank you all for being here. Well done."

After handshakes and hugs, everyone waved to the audience and left the stage, heading back to their dressing rooms. Daphne held onto Jack's hand for stability until they were backstage, then she dropped it and slid her shoes off.

"Mother Mary," she sighed in relief. "These things are so uncomfortable!"

Jared laughed as he walked by. "I can totally relate."

She stuck her tongue out at him and smiled. "You're funny. But I doubt you've had to wear shoes this high." She held one black pump up to him by the four inch stiletto.

He shook his head. "No I haven't. You win," he nudged her as he kept walking. "By the way," he said, turning back to face her. "I'm not sure if I'm going to watch your show or not."

She laughed and nodded. "I MIGHT buy your album. Not sure yet."

He gave her the Finger and a joking smile before disappearing into his dressing room to clean up and get his microphone taken off.

"So you two are kind of familiar with each other?" Jack asked as he walked next to her to her dressing room.

"I guess. I mean I don't really know him that well. We've really only spoken about character stuff to this point," she replied, walking in her room.

"So you're not that close?" he asked, leaning against the door frame.

She shook her head. "Nope, not really. But we will have to be soon. It's kind of important for the character work we're doing." Understanding what he was getting at, she sighed. "We aren't involved with each other nor have we ever been. He's my costar and I don't date people I'm working with for the same reason I don't work with people I'm dating. It's too complicated."

Jack sighed and nodded. He'd been holding a candle for Daphne for a few months now, but he knew it was basically pointless. They had agreed that there would be no intimate encounters or anything as long as they were living together and after they were living together she was too busy working on press and other industry things for them to really have any time for her. He kept waiting for the right time to talk to her about it, but it never seemed right. He went back to his room, sighing as he changed. He walked back out into the hallway and headed back over to Daphne's room. She smiled as he came in and sat on the sofa. Kelly was on the phone with someone, setting up an appointment for something. Daphne glanced up as a knock came on the door.

"Hey, are you two free tonight?" Shannon asked, ducking his head into the doorway. "We're going to hit a bar or something because our flight leaves really early and we wanted to see if you'd be interested in keeping us company."

Jack shook his head. "It's the first time I've been home for a bit so I'm going to go see my family tonight and tomorrow because we're doing press for a bit longer. But maybe next time."

Shannon nodded and fixed his gaze of Daphne. "What about you, Golden Girl?" he joked. "Have any spare time for us lowly semi-successful musicians?"

She glanced at Kelly with a smile. "Do I have the evening free?" she asked quietly. Kelly nodded and gave her the thumbs up symbol but didn't get off the phone. "I guess that means I'm free tonight. For the first time in ages, too."

"Good," Shannon said. "We're leaving in a few minutes."

She nodded at him and turned to Jack. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

He shook his head. "You should go. You'll have to spend time with Jared sometime, why not start now?" He stood up and stretched. "I'll see you in a few days in Paris, alright?"

She smiled and nodded, hugging him as he passed by. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Be safe," she said softly as he left with his assistant.

"Daphne, you coming?" Tomo asked as their group walked into the hallway.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," she said, grabbing her shoes and sliding them on.

"Daphne, this is Emma Ludbrook. She's our assistant, manager, and general brain," Jared said, indicating a youngish brunette who was behind them.

"Hi," she said, holding her hand out to Daphne. "I think we've spoken before."

Daphne laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I am such a huge fan of yours," Emma gushed.

Daphne smiled. "Thanks so much. You're so sweet." She glanced around for Jared. "Where are we headed anyways?"

"You're coming with us?" Jared asked in confusion. "I thought you and Jack had other publicity to do."

Daphne glanced at Shannon, who met her eye before looking away. "I mean, if you don't want me to come…"

Jared laughed lightly. "You'd be welcome. It would be our pleasure. I just wish Jack was coming too. He's a cool kid."

"Nah, he wanted to go visit his family. He's been in L.A. for a while and hasn't been able to get home," she replied. "You never answered my question," she said, nudging Jared. "Where are we going?"

"Let's get a cab and decide on the way," Shannon said.

"Works for me," Tomo said with a crooked smile.

The small group headed out to find a cab waiting for them. They squeezed in and had the driver take them to the closest decent bar. Most of the ride, Daphne was squeezed against Shannon, who was doing his best to keep up a conversation with her about anything in an effort to distract himself from her. They arrived after about thirty minutes of driving. Jared and Emma were in a heated discussion about tour matters and Tomo was in a text conversation with his wife, leaving Shannon and Daphne to talk between themselves. They piled out of the cramped cab and looked around.

Daphne had a pretty good grasp of where they were, having spent a good amount of time in her childhood in London and around the United Kingdom while filming for the 'Harry Potter' series. She knew immediately where they were and knew that if they didn't get inside quickly, photographers would recognize them immediately and swarm the entire building. She followed Jared inside, giving the bouncer a smile as he recognized her name. She saw the hint of recognition in his eyes and tried to move past him as quickly as possible. They all got drinks and found a quiet table in a corner to relax in.

"So," Jared started when they were all settled. "We start filming in two months."

Daphne nodded. "And you're touring right up to filming starting?"

Jared nodded. "Yeah, so that kind of means you and I will just have to sort of wing it as to how we communicate."

"Well, you guys get to tour for the next two months," she started. "I have to go finish this press tour then go back to Los Angeles and learn how to pole dance."

Shannon's and Tomo's heads perked up. "Say what?" Shannon asked.

She laughed. "I have to learn to pole dance. There's this really important scene in the script that has me doing this complicated pole dancing sequence and moves and all this shit."

Shannon glared at Jared. "Lucky bastard."

Jared laughed loudly. "It shouldn't be too hard for you though. You're pretty physically fit," he responded.

It was true. Daphne had always been in shape. She had started out in dance, doing lots of ballet classes. It was her father's way of distracting her from the family that was falling apart at the seams. She had become really good at dance in general when she was cast in 'Lord of the Rings' and had done quite a bit of her own stunts because of it. She didn't really dance as much as she used to, but she was always very physical in most of her films. It wasn't a choice she made; it just sort of worked out that way.

"It's so much harder than people think," she replied. "I've been researching it and there's so much core strength that goes into it, it's ridiculous. Those girls are amazingly strong."

"You'll figure it out," Tomo said with a grin.

"So Tomo," Daphne started. "You're the only one married or in any type of relationship?"

He nodded. "Yep. It would seem these two aren't ready to settle down quite yet."

Daphne glanced between Jared and Shannon opposite her. "But doesn't it get really hard to manage a relationship when you're away touring and stuff?" she asked him.

"Yeah it does, but I'm fortunate enough that she can join us when we're away for too long and it makes things easier in that respect," he responded.

"I can totally get how difficult it is to manage a relationship with a crazy schedule," she laughed.

"I mean, how do you manage it? You're one of the hardest working people I know," Shannon said. "It seems like you never sleep."

She shook her head. "I really don't date much. I haven't dated much actually. A lot of people assume I have, but I really haven't. It's hard to date when you're hunted by photographers."

Daphne had never really had very lasting relationships. She'd mostly dated other celebrities because that was the only pool she could draw from. Usually things fizzled out because of conflicting work schedules or the guy would get jealous of her accomplishments so she'd dump him. It was difficult to find a decent guy who was comfortable enough in himself to deal with her. Dating wasn't really a priority for her for a long time. She had way too many things on her mind to be worrying about getting a boyfriend or anything like that. She barely had time to sleep by herself, why would she spend that meager time sleeping with anyone else?

Jared nodded. "But sometimes it's easier to be able to handle everything when you don't have to juggle a relationship along with it."

She agreed. "I mean, I could take time off in between films if I wanted to and just focus on that, but it's not really a big deal for me right now. I'm twenty-six. I'm not dead yet," she laughed.

"What about Jack? He seems really into you," Emma asked.

Daphne nodded. "I know. But I don't date people I'm working with or work with people I'm dating. It's just too messy."

"So every report of you dating your costars is false?" Jared asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Daphne blushed a bit. "Not EVERY report, but most of them are. I like forming friendships with the people I work with, so it's usually mistaken for something else when photographers see me out with a guy I'm working with."

"So you're not dating anyone right now?" Shannon asked.

Daphne eyed him across the table with a bit of a smirk. "No, I'm not."

Tomo laughed. "She's way out of your league, Shan."

"Oh I know," he replied with a smile. "She's like a twelve out of ten and I'm a four."

She smiled at him. "I don't know. You're a drummer in a popular band. That's gotta count for something right?" He tipped his glass at her and smiled. "Plus, don't the drummers always get the freakiest chicks?"

Jared hooted with laughter. "On a scale from one to ten how freaky are you, then?"

She laughed. "Well, you'll have to find out," she said with a little wink in his direction. "Is it true though? Do the lead singers always get the pretty ones, the drummers get the freaky ones, and the guitarists get what?"

"I think it's divided, honestly," Emma said. "I mean, girls go crazy for Jared, but not just because he's the lead singer. More because he's the one in the front that they all recognize."

"But he's a pretty good looking guy though, right?" Daphne asked her. "I mean, they both are-no offense Tomo, but you're married. It kinda ruins the mystique," she laughed.

He gave her a mock sad face before breaking into a smile. "Fair enough."

"But they're both obviously attractive guys. I mean," Daphne said. "I'd date either one of them."

"So you'd date an old guy?" Shannon asked in a self-deprecating way.

She laughed. "Honestly, you do not look to be in your forties. You look like you're young thirties. If that."

"Do we need to leave you two alone or something?" Emma asked, jokingly. They all laughed. "Daphne I'm curious I know you and Jared are working together on 'Suicide Squad', but what made you agree to do it? I heard for a long time you were sort of against it?" she asked.

Daphne smiled at Jared. "He convinced me. I guess I just thought that he had lots of good ideas and that it was worth a shot. Plus it's a much different tone in this film compared to other scripts I'd read for the same film."

"Do you have like a philosophy as to how you pick films? Like is there one thing you absolutely will not do in a film?" Jared asked.

She sat back in her chair and thought. "I'm pretty adventurous. I mean, I'll generally try anything once if it can be justified. But probably just sex for the sake of sex. Like I only take roles with sex scenes if the scene is justified for my character. I'm not big on mindless sex."

"So no porno then?" Jared asked, making everyone laugh.

Daphne leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, "Not in your wildest dreams."

He smiled and met her gaze as he bit his lip. "Oh trust me, it's come up."

Daphne blushed a little bit and rolled her eyes. "My God you've got two settings. Off and Flirt."

Everyone laughed again and they settled into easy conversation. After a while, Daphne got a call from Kelly asking her to come back because she had an early television show to film in the morning.

"Alright, I'm going to go," she said, excusing herself. "I've got early press in the morning." Everyone stood. "It was so nice to meet you for real," she said, hugging Emma. "Keep these guys in line. And you," Daphne said, giving Tomo a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "Don't stay away from your wife too long." She turned to Shannon who gave her a massive hug and a kiss on the cheek. "So good to see you again!" She turned to Jared last.

"I'll walk you out," he said, taking her hand. She waved to everyone as they walked out. Jared called her a taxi. "I guess I'll see you in a few weeks for the table read, right?" he asked, hugging her tightly.

She nodded. "Definitely. Thanks for having me out tonight. It was a nice break from the craziness."

He smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, still holding her hand. The taxi pulled up and he opened the door for her. As people slowly started to recognize both of them on the sidewalk, they said hurried goodbyes. Jared let go of her hand at the last possible moment as the cab drove off and photographers descended upon him.


	6. Chapter 6

"I wonder if we ever think of each other at the same time," -Unknown

Jared glanced up as his phone buzzed for the millionth time that morning. He smiled when he saw that it was from Daphne. They were in Russia performing their last show and it was getting closer and closer to them heading home again. As much as he missed home, Jared was also starting to miss Daphne. They hadn't spent too much time together, but he couldn't stop thinking about the little time they did have together. The media had been abuzz for the past few weeks since he had cut his hair and dyed it peroxide blonde. There were many speculations going around about what his version of the Joker would look like and people were anxiously waiting for updates. More so, the media had started to play up his relationship with Daphne. Several photographers had captured pictures of them hugging and talking outside the bar in London and people were now speculating that they were dating as well, which was only drawing more attention to them both.

Daphne had finished her press tour and was back in Los Angeles training for the film. They talked pretty regularly, but most of their conversations were really extended. Because of the time zone difference, he would be awake when she was asleep and usually their questions waited up to a day for a response, but they were getting to know each other a bit more. Jared knew he'd see her again in a few days at the table read in Toronto, but they'd only have about a week together before filming started and then a week before he had to come back over to Europe to finish that part of the tour. It was really strange how they had gotten to know each other, but didn't really know each other at all. And each day that passed he was getting more and more excited about seeing her again.

Shannon had developed a little bit of a crush on Daphne as well and it had become a bit of a competition between the pair of them to see who she spoke to the most. They knew it was childish, but it was fun and helped keep things interesting in the monotony of touring. They were two fully-grown men in their forties fighting over a girl just like they were back in high school again. It was comical to watch. He put his guitar pick between his teeth and opened the message she had sent. It was a video message of her in the pole dancing studio doing a few moves. She wanted to know which ones he liked better. He glanced around to make sure no one would see before playing the video with the sound off.

He watched in awe as she maneuvered up and down the metal pole with ease, making the tricks look super easy. It was the last move that got his attention. She had her body parallel to the floor, in a split holding onto the pole with her bent-up leg. Her back was to the floor and her arms were free. Suddenly she dropped quickly, stopping inches from the floor which caused Jared to gasp quietly. He smiled to himself as he replayed the video.

"Dude, you need to see this video Daphne sent me," Shannon said, walking over.

"Pole dancing?" Jared asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How'd you know?" Shannon asked in confusion.

Jared flipped his phone around to show his brother the identical video. "She sent me the same thing."

"Dude, you're going to have one case of blue balls when you work with her," Shannon said with a low whistle as the video played again.

"How do you figure?" Jared asked, taking the pick out of his mouth.

"Because she isn't going to go out with you," he laughed. "She's teasing you and I bet she's enjoying every minute of it."

"Shut up. She's teasing you too, dumbass," Jared said, giving Shannon a kick in the leg as he sat across from him. "What makes you think she'll go out with you if she won't go out with me?"

Shannon smiled widely. "I'm not working with her. Her rules don't apply to me, technically."

"You really think she'd go out with the brother of one of her costars? Man, you're delusional," Jared laughed.

"Well she's certainly not going out with you," Shannon said with a smile. "Look."

He held up his phone for his brother to see. Several photos of Daphne out with Jake Gyllenhaal were circulating the internet. Jared laughed. "Shan, they're friends. They've been friends for a few years now. Even I knew that."

Shannon shook his head. "They don't look like friends," he said, holding the phone closer to his brother's face.

Jared inspected the photos closer and saw that there were several of them holding hands and one had even caught him kissing her bare back closely as they lounged on the beach in Los Angeles. He shrugged, trying to hide his disappointment. "She can date whomever she wants. I don't really care. Besides, she said she has loads of close friends and I know she's really close with him." Jared nodded his head toward the photo of Daphne and Jake before returning to picking on his guitar.

"Did she date Heath?" Shannon asked, leaning back in the armchair. "I mean, that has to be why she was so against making this film. She must have been in love with him or something for it to hurt that much to have that character recreated."

Jared shook his head softly. "They were close. Like REALLY close. At least, that's what she told me. But quite frankly it's not really my business."

Emma appeared in the doorway, telling them that it was time to head to the stage for the show. Jared sighed and put his phone and guitar away, not responding to the message Daphne had sent. Shannon grabbed his sticks and they headed for the stage, meeting up with Tomo halfway to get their inner ear pieces wired up. Jared was distracted by the images of Daphne and Jake for most of the show, not performing up to his usual standard.

In Hollywood, Daphne was enjoying her time off with Jake. They had been really close friends for a while but different work schedules had caused them to drift apart. It was purely coincidence that they had run into each other and started spending time together again. Jake was taking some time off before promoting his new film and Daphne was preparing to shoot 'Suicide Squad', so they both had quite a bit of time on their hands.

Her relationship with Jake was an interesting one. They both knew how the other person felt about them. They both knew the other person really well. Jake had been spending almost all of his time at Daphne's place or with her because his house was being renovated. They regularly went on runs with his dogs and their days usually ended with time on the beach or a trip to Runyon Canyon. Daphne enjoyed the feeling of security she had with Jake. Nothing was ever unexpected with him and she knew exactly how he'd react to everything. They had talked about a relationship in the past, but it had never seemed like the right time and they had just ended up remaining extremely close friends.

Daphne was well aware that photographers were following them around and she was well aware that there were rumors going around about her and Jared as well. She had reached a point where she just stopped caring about that stuff and ignored photographers as best she could. The single unique benefit of having friends who were famous was that they understood how the rumor mill worked and how photographers hunted people down. There was no stress in them freaking out about any of it.

"Hey Daph?" Jake called from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" she said, coming into the open room.

"When do you have to go to Toronto?" he asked as he looked at something on his laptop.

"In three days," she answered, sitting next to him on a bar stool. "Why?"

"I was thinking we could do a road trip or something and get away from the city for a bit, but I guess you'll be gone before we could really do anything," he said with a slight sinking in his shoulders.

She watched him carefully. They had become really close in the last few weeks-closer than she had even been with Heath-but they hadn't taken things to the next level. She wasn't sure if he wanted to or what the deal was. It was always kind of hard to read him. He was smart and sweet and funny. And safe. And she was definitely attracted to him. But she wasn't sure it was the right time. It never seemed like the right time. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you so much for thinking about it," she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

He turned his head to face her more and gave her a sweet smile. "It's alright. We can do it when you get back."

She shook her head sadly. "When I'm done filming in Toronto, I head right back to Las Vegas for Season two of 'Burnout'."

He sighed. "I'm beginning to understand why we never seemed to make this work between us."

She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean? I thought we had agreed that we were better off as friends?"

He laughed wryly. "I don't want to be friends with you, Daphne. It doesn't feel like we're friends. It feels like we're somewhere in between."

She bit her lip and nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Hell, last night we slept in the same bed," he said. He shook his head. "It just doesn't seem like we're just friends. I know you feel it too."

His blue eyes met her green ones and he leaned toward her, brushing his lips against hers. She didn't move and he kissed her again, bringing his hands up to her face to kiss her deeper. Jake stood up and moved toward Daphne, resting his hands on her hips and kissing her more. Her hands came up to his chest and she slowed their kisses down and rested her forehead against his chin.

"Jake," she said softly. He bit his lip as he waited for her to speak. "I'm leaving in three days and I'll be gone for a while. This isn't a good idea."

"Why not?" he asked, pulling back to look at her.

"It's not the right time, Jake," she said softly.

"It's never the right time with you Daphne. You're always working," he replied. "I really want to see what's between us but you keep giving me mixed signals and I don't know what to do."

She blinked and bit her lip as she listened to him. "I'm not trying to give mixed signals, Jake. I just don't want to start something and then have it fall apart because I have other commitments in my life."

"And I get that. But you don't know if you don't try," he replied. "I'm just asking for a chance. We get along so well. We have a lot of fun. We have a great connection. Why do you think it's going to fall apart?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I have no real relationship to judge my own on. You know that." She had never really seen a happy relationship when she was growing up so it was hard for her to know what was right and what was wrong in terms of what a relationship SHOULD be like.

He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. "You have to trust me, Daph."

She nodded softly against his chest and sighed. "Okay."

"Should we go to the beach? Let's go to the beach and be lazy there," he said, trying to change the mood.

She smiled at him and went to get changed. He met her at the front door and led her to the car. As they pulled out of the driveway, photographers jockeyed around the car, trying to get the best shots possible.


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm not here, I'm not listening. I'm in my head and I'm spinning." -30STM

"Daphne, hey!" Jared said in surprise when he spotted her at the airport in Toronto. His flight had landed and he was waiting to pass through customs. He tried to keep a low profile to avoid being mobbed. Immediately after he said her name, he winced and looked around, expecting people to come running. Fortunately everyone was too busy with their own business to focus on him. His assistant was busily typing away on her iPhone and barely looked up when he spoke.

"Hey," she said with a smile. She walked over, her assistant in tow. "How was the tour?"

He smiled at her. "It was great. By the way, I loved those teases you sent me." He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "And Shannon." He stuck his tongue out at her and smiled.

Daphne laughed. "So you caught onto that one, did you?"

"Yeah, it was pretty easy to figure out," he laughed. They moved slowly through the customs line. "So you can get upset or whatever with me, but I have to ask. The photos I saw of you with that Jake Gyllenhaal guy. What's happening there?" He glanced back at his assistant. The girl was new and seemed to be having a hard time keeping everything organized for him.

She stopped in her tracks and blinked. "I wasn't aware you were following me that closely."

He shook his head. "Shannon showed them to me. I just want to know so I know what the limits are between us and all of that."

"Well, the limits are that we are costars and coworkers and nothing more," she said slowly.

"Not even friends?" he gave her a mock gasp and his flirtatious smile.

She laughed again. "Well, friends, fine. But that's it. You know my rule."

"So you two are definitely dating then?" he asked, handing his passport to the customs officer and sliding his sunglasses off.

"I don't know what it is," she replied softly, aware that the officers had recognized them both.

Jared perked up a bit. "But you're exclusive, right?"

She gave him a confused look. "This isn't high school. Not to mention, I barely think I'll have time for one guy, so I don't think I'll be 'playing the field', as it were," she made air quotes as she picked up her passport and other documents after being waved through by the officer.

"How did you two meet?" he asked, walking next to her and Kelly as they hurried through the busy airport.

"We've been friends for a while," she said. "Sorry, can we continue the interview later? This isn't the time or place?"

Jared nodded and braced himself for the swarm of photographers that had gathered outside. They all shouted their names and it was an absolute melee. Flashes blinded him and he was glad he had put his sunglasses back on. They decided to share a car because neither one of them liked the idea of having to wait for another to show up. Kelly took the front seat, leaving Jared, his assistant Mara, and Daphne to slide into the back. Their driver did the best he could to get away from the photographers quickly.

"When we get to the hotel, you have a meeting with David, Daphne," Kelly called. "Oh, and Oprah is coming by tomorrow to film that interview."

Daphne nodded, acutely aware of Jared's leg pressing into hers. They'd squeezed in tightly and Jared had lucked out for the middle seat. He didn't seem to mind because he made no effort to move his leg from next to hers.

"What time is that?" she asked Kelly.

"One in the afternoon tomorrow at the hotel," Kelly informed her.

Daphne sighed. This interview was one she'd been working on with Oprah and her team for several months. Oprah wanted to interview her for her network because the entire world had so many answers about her. It was designed to be the most in-depth interview Daphne had ever given, covering many topics that she had previously refused to talk about with reporters and the media. Daphne was notorious in Hollywood for being fiercely protective of her private life as a child. She rarely spoke about it, and when she did it was usually only in passing. She almost never spoke about her grandfather or her parents.

"Alright. When do I have costume fittings?" Daphne asked.

"David wants to meet with you both first before doing costumes and then they want to run screen tests," she replied. "And then in a week you two are doing publicity photos."

Daphne nodded in silence, checking her cell phone as is buzzed. Jake had sent her a message and she smiled. Jared casually looked over out of the corner of his eye and saw what it was about.

"So Daphne, your birthday is coming up," he said casually. "Any plans?"

"Probably not. Jake might come and see me, but I think he's got to do press. So I'll probably just spend it with Kelly," Daphne said, looking out the window as they passed city buildings.

"Hey, you say that like it's a bad thing," Kelly pouted from the front seat.

Daphne laughed. "You know it's not, Kell. You're my best friend. I can't imagine spending it with anyone else."

"But a hot guy wouldn't be sent away, though right?" Kelly laughed.

Jared looked around at the women surrounding him. "Am I invisible?"

Daphne laughed. "Jared, you're hot, but I'm not dating you. Besides you're going to be busy that day, right?"

"He'll be in Paris for a show," Mara added, breaking her silence.

"That's right," Jared said, remembering. "But listen. You should totally come see us if you're free. I could get you backstage passes. I know a guy." He winked and Daphne laughed.

"You'd have to talk to Kelly about that one. I don't know if I could fly to Paris for a night and then come back," Daphne said.

"If you can, I can take care of everything," Mara said, glancing back down at her phone.

"Mara, take a breather. It will still be there when we get to the hotel. Relax," Jared said, patting the younger woman's shoulder.

She blushed slightly and Daphne got the feeling that Mara had a tiny crush on Jared. Not that she could blame him. Gone was Jesus-Jared and in his place was a newer, sexier one. He had chopped off his long hair a few weeks prior and gone peroxide blonde to cover his dark brown roots. He was supposed to get it dyed green soon, but Daphne was definitely a fan of the short-haired, clean-shaven Jared. The car pulled up to the hotel and they got out, luckily managing to avoid fans and photographers. The studio was putting all the actors up in the same hotel because it was close to the set. They went inside and Jared left Mara and Kelly to take care of checking them both in.

"So you and Jake, huh?" he asked.

"We've already gone over that, Jared. What's really going on?" she asked, unmoved by his attempt at casual conversation.

"Is he going to be here?" Jared asked, sinking into a plush sofa in the lobby.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well," he said, sitting up. "We're going to be filming some pretty steamy scenes and I just wanted to know how we're going to handle that."

"I already talked to him about it," she said, leaning against the tall sofa back. "He won't come in when we're filming those scenes. He doesn't want to."

Jared fought the urge to smile. "Shame."

She rolled her eyes and sat next to him. "Try not to look so excited."

"It's just hard to take him seriously with you. You don't seem like the type of girl he'd go for," he replied, taking a sip from his water bottle.

She gave him an incredulous look. "Why do you say that?"

"Because he's the type of guy who goes for sweet, down-home, girl-next-door types. And you're definitely not that type," he answered, looking at her. That electricity from their audition together months ago was returning.

"And what type of girl am I then?" she asked, a slight smile spreading across her face as she met his intense gaze.

"You're darker, sexier, much more of an international girl. Like a Bond Girl," he said with a hint of a growl in his voice. His hand came up to brush her hair from her face. "You don't belong with All-America. You belong with someone who is more worldly and can show you everything it has to offer."

She kept her eyes on his as he inched closer and closer to her face, his gaze unwavering. Just as he was centimeters from her lips, she spoke.

"I think he's Swedish, actually," she said softly. "Oh, and if I wanted to see the world, I wouldn't need a man to show it to me. But I'll keep you in mind."

With that, she got up and breezed away, leaving Jared tingling all over in anticipation of something that would never come. He chuckled to himself as he watched her walk away.

Later that afternoon, Jared and Daphne were in a meeting with David Ayer. They were discussing the scenes they would be filming exclusively, including the pole dancing scene.

"I'm really seeking spontaneity here," David said. "I want you both to be free with one another because in essence you're really just one person."

"I get that," Daphne responded. "I mean, I don't have any issues with Jared doing whatever he wants. I trust him and his judgment so I feel like he could handle things however he wants."

"That's exactly what I was referring to. I don't want any limits between you two," David said with a nod. "I really want the sex appeal to be there between you two. Like what we felt in the audition, times a million."

Jared nodded and smiled as he gazed at Daphne over the table between them. "Something tells me you'll get that-and then some."

"Alright, just keep in mind I want you both to spend as much time together as possible," David replied, shuffling papers around in front of him. "I don't want anything to seem forced. Just make sure it doesn't become awkward or anything either. Keep it professional please."

She smiled at both of them and left the room, leaving Jared and David alone.

"Jared I can see it in your eyes. Put whatever idea you have that involves getting into her pants out of your head. I don't want drama like that on my set," David said without looking up from his paperwork.  
"Have you seen her, David?" Jared asked, gesturing to the door behind him.  
"Yes, I have. That's why we cast her. Because she's hot. But we also cast her because you both have excellent chemistry-something that will be ruined if things get awkward between you two. Keep it in your pants," David replied. Jared sighed and rolled his eyes. "Besides, she's way out of your league anyways."


	8. Chapter 8

"You are so brave and quiet I forget you are suffering." -Ernest Hemingway

"Alright, Miss Brando, you're hooked up," the assistant said, attaching a microphone to Daphne's shirt.

She smiled. "Just call me Daphne. Miss Brando makes me feel ancient," she said. The assistant nearly fainted when she smiled at him.

"Daphne are you ready?" Oprah Winfrey asked, sitting opposite her in an arm chair.

Daphne nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be," she laughed lightly.

"Alright, we're rolling," the cameraman said, pointing at Oprah.

"Alright, Daphne tell me your full name," Oprah said, glancing at the cards in her hand.

"Daphne Juliana Brando," she replied.

"And when is your birthday?" the older woman asked.

"May 8th, 1988," Daphne said.

"So you're turning twenty-six soon," she said. Daphne nodded with a smile. "How does that feel?"

Daphne smiled again. "It feels like I'm so old, but I'm really not at all in comparison."

"So tell me about your family as a child. You have a very interesting story that most people aren't aware of, so share that with us," she asked.

Daphne sighed before speaking. "I was a child of a loveless relationship. My parents would go back and forth often," she spoke slowly and hesitantly. "One day they'd be together and the next they'd be apart and separating. And then they'd change their minds. I don't think they really knew what they wanted from each other in terms of how they wanted their relationship to function," Daphne paused as she spoke, trying to find the right words. "It was a very volatile relationship."

Oprah nodded. "People know your father because he was famous-and infamous. Tell me about your mother."

"My mother wasn't really a true mother. It didn't seem as though she wanted to be a mother. She wasn't ever really involved in my life. She didn't seem to have any problem dropping me with my father and leaving me for days, even weeks," Daphne said, picking at her nails. "The custody agreement meant nothing to her. Even after my father was sent to prison when I was three, she didn't waste any time in dropping me at my grandfather's house and disappearing." Daphne looked away because it was kind of difficult to talk about her mother. "I think I spoke to her four times over the five years that my father was absent. I haven't spoken to her since I was twelve."

"I can see it's bothering you to talk about her. Are you angry with the way she treated you?" Oprah asked.

Daphne blinked as she thought about her answer. "I was. I used to be," she said as she swallowed, trying to keep herself from getting too nervous. "But then I realized that not every woman is meant to be a mother. Not every woman should be a mother, and not every woman wants to be a mother."

"Right," replied Oprah.

"I can't exactly fault her for not wanting me. I've never heard her side of the story, but I'm sure she had her reasons for leaving me. What upset me more was the lack of interest she showed overall," Daphne said quietly. "I like to think she was just trying to protect me from something. Maybe from the lack of care she could provide. Needless to say, there's no love lost there. I don't see her as my mother. I don't see her as my parent."

"Would you welcome her into your life if she showed interest in you again?" Oprah asked, folding her hands in front of her.

"I don't know," Daphne started. "It's not as though I don't know who she is. I'm positive she knows who I am. But it's a two-way street, you know?" She looked over at the woman sitting across from her as she nodded. "The time for her to step up and be a mother was twenty years ago. The time for her to step up and be a friend is on-going. But I don't know if I'm open to it or not. That's something I just don't think I'm completely healed from. Because it hurts."

"And what about your father?" the older woman asked. "What about your relationship with him?"

"He was the only parent I kind of knew. He was an alcoholic. He drank a lot," Daphne paused for longer than she had before as she tried to configure what she was going to say. "Especially after he got out of jail. It was one of the main reasons why I continued to stay with my grandfather afterwards. But he'd come and visit me often. Several times a week. But he never felt like a parent. More like a crazy uncle you invite over to a party when you want to liven things up." Both women laughed at the image. "But for all of his faults, I have no doubt he loved me. My mother, too. Every parent loves their child, I think. But it varies for some people. Not everyone is meant to be a parent. But even after he got out, my dad never petitioned for custody of me." Daphne took a drink from her water bottle as Oprah shifted through her interview cards.

"Your grandfather was of course the late Marlon Brando," she started. "Tell me about your relationship with him?"

Daphne smiled as she spoke. "My grandfather was an amazing man. He taught me a lot as a child. He was one of the most open-minded people I've ever met in my life. He was a fierce fighter for equality for everyone. That was the Marlon Brando I knew. I didn't know the larger than life actor. I knew the philanthropist and the man who cared more about others than himself," she paused, letting her words sink in. "He was a great man, there's no question of that. And it's because of him that I am who I am today. He instilled so many values in me that still ring true today. He was incredibly shy and self-conscious at times. But he was always open with me and used every chance he got as a chance to educate me. He was incredibly smart and in many ways, I think he was ahead of his time in terms of affiliating himself in politics and using his name to further different causes."

Oprah nodded. "Now, it's completely normal for celebrities to affiliate themselves with politics and political issues like gay marriage or racial equality or what have you. But he really was a part of it long before it became a 'cool thing'," she put up air quotes as she spoke. "Why don't you ever speak about him? You've done so many different interviews, but you never speak about him. Why is that?"

"I have a hard time speaking about him because he was my biggest inspiration. He was my best friend when I was growing up. We had an incredible relationship. It's hard to talk about someone you know so well, especially when you had to share them with the rest of the world. Plus he was intensely shy. He didn't share much about his personal life and I feel bad talking about him when he hardly ever spoke about himself," Daphne said. She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs.

"He claimed in several interviews that he named you," She asked. "Is that correct?"

Daphne nodded. "Yes. He named me. 'Daphne' means laurel branch. And my middle name was originally Julia after his mother. My father added the 'Ana' at the end in honor of his own mother. My grandfather was a big nature fan. He loved to watch trees and just be outside. He could name every single tree that we would pass. He loved to be outside, so that's where that name came from. And he idolized his mother. He loved her, even with her problems and her alcoholism she was his greatest inspiration."

"What about the rest of your family? Are you close with any of them? Do you have a bond with any of them?" Oprah asked.

"It's nonexistent. I was never close with Maria-my grandfather's partner- or her kids. I often felt like she was jealous of how much time I got from my grandfather. This could be true or not, but that's just the way I experienced it," Daphne said quickly. "I wasn't very close with my family in Tahiti, either, but Tuki-my cousin- and I are communicating more now. We didn't have the stereotypical Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving dinners or even family dinners. My grandfather had so many kids and grandchildren it became hard to keep track. But once he died I pretty much cut ties with them all because there was this overwhelming sense of jealousy from all of them and I just didn't have time or space for that in my life."

"You two were so close that he left you nearly half of his estate upon his passing. That caused a big stir," Oprah asked, taking a sip from her water bottle.

"I think he often looked at me as if I was his child, instead of his grandchild," Daphne started. "He was an intensely giving man. He tried to involve me in everything he did. I think he was partially trying to make up for my father's poor parenting ability. It caused quite a controversy in my family because they felt like I didn't deserve it. I was his grandchild, not his child and somehow that made me less deserving of it."

"Many people stated that you already had a successful career and it wasn't fair for you to receive such a large amount of money when you already had massive earnings," Oprah said, filling in the gaps.

Daphne nodded. "I understand that, but I think the reason he left it to me was because he wanted to make sure it went into something good. My grandfather's estate and my earnings are kept separately. I've actually supported several different causes that he would have been proud to be associated with using the money I got from him. I didn't view what he left me as a payday, I viewed it as a way to help others and be charitable like he had taught me to be."

"As a child, were you aware of who your grandfather was?" Oprah asked.

"Oh definitely," Daphne insisted. "It wasn't anything like it is now though. I think if he was still alive today, he'd still be hunted by photographers, not to the extent that I'm hunted as it were, but he'd definitely be a draw for them." She paused and thought. "But we'd go out and go places and people would come up and ask for autographs and photos and all of that when I was younger, so I knew. I don't think I fully understood the magnitude of who he was and what he meant to Hollywood until we got to the set of 'Rings' in New Zealand. When I saw how people responded to him and how they greeted him-people I was working with-I began to understand just how famous he was. These were people from all over the world treating him the same way and just looking at him in awe. It was a big eye opener for me."

"Everyone wants to know, have you seen all of your grandfather's works?" Oprah asked with a smile.

"No. And I don't intend to. 'Last Tango in Paris' is not one I'd enjoy seeing I don't think, for obvious reasons," Daphne laughed. "I don't really watch his work because I had the real thing in front of me. I never had to watch him in anything because I only ever saw him as my grandfather and making that disconnect to 'grandfather/film star' was always hard for me."

"Tell me about when your grandfather died. You've never spoken about it to this date," the other woman asked.

Daphne sighed, feeling the weight of the interview resting on her response. "I was filming in London at the time. Working on 'Goblet of Fire'. I had just turned sixteen," she spoke in halting bits, trying to make sure she kept her emotions in control. "It came as a huge shock to me because no one had told me of his failing health. Maria hadn't told me about it. If I had known I would have backed out of filming immediately," she said quietly. "I remember Mike Newell coming to my trailer and telling me what had happened. I was heartbroken. Just completely heartbroken. It happened right as we were shooting a really happy scene for my character and I just had to deal with it. That's probably the first time I had to really act. I had to act happy and as if everything was fine when inside I was breaking into a thousand tiny pieces."

Oprah nodded. "But he lived a very full life, which allows us to look back on his life and know he didn't regret anything."

"Let's take a break and retouch makeup," one of the producers said.

A flurry of activity brought several different people around Daphne. A makeup artist retouched her face while a hair stylist retouched her hair. She sat quietly, letting them do their jobs. It always bothered her when she did interviews and they were interrupted to fix things. It seemed like she always had to look perfect. After a few minutes the director called for everyone to clear out of the shot and the interview resumed.

"Moving on to your career, did you always want to be an actress?" Oprah started again.

"No. Never," Daphne shook her head. "I originally wanted to be a dancer. I was really involved in ballet and it was something I excelled in. My grandfather even wanted to keep me from the business. It was one of the few things he and my father actually agreed on together. They didn't want me to become this spoiled Hollywood child star, which is why they kept me from auditioning and kept refusing to allow talent agencies to represent me."

"That's interesting. Several agencies were interested in representing you for modeling, correct?" she asked.

"Originally, yes. I was doing a show with the Los Angeles Ballet and somehow my head shot had gotten out and a modelling agency became interested in me. But I never really pursued it. I was really all about dance at that point," Daphne stated.

"The story of your 'discovery' is an interesting one. Tell me about that," Oprah said.

Daphne laughed at the memory. "It was through ballet, originally. Like I said, my head shot had gotten out and it was circulating through agencies around town. I guess it caught the eye of the agency that was doing casting for 'Rings', so they sent it to Pete. He flew out to L.A. as soon as he could and actually came to see a performance of the ballet. He came up to my grandfather and me after the show and introduced himself and everything. He told me about the role and how he thought it would be perfect and asked if we'd come in for an audition. He fought really hard for me to audition. I think my grandfather eventually felt bad for him because he was working so hard, so he finally let me audition. It was really nerve-wracking for me. But I guess he liked it because a few weeks later, we were going to New Zealand."

Oprah laughed. "That does seem like something your grandfather would have done. He was notorious for making directors' lives difficult."

Daphne smiled. "He made sure that Pete really wanted to work with me. And I guess it's a good thing he did because it changed my life."

"Tell me about your experience filming 'Lord of the Rings'. It was arguably the film that changed your life," Oprah asked.

"I remember arriving on set the first day for the read-through of 'Fellowship of the Ring'. At that point, we had only spoken with Pete and Fran Walsh. We hadn't spoken with anyone else involved in the film besides the casting director and she knew me as 'Daphne Christian'-which was the name I had chosen to use to avoid people lumping me in with my grandfather." Daphne replied. "When we came in the room-it was filled with all the lead actors in that film except for Liv I think- it was silent for a good sixty seconds. Literally people's jaws dropped-I mean, properly dropped to the floor. I was in this room of actors who all literally adored my grandfather and had nothing but respect for him. It was one of the craziest moments in my life so far."

"And then filming was an interesting experience. I was enrolled in a standard school while I was in New Zealand. That was one of the stipulations my grandfather had in letting me be in the film-I had to go to a regular school. And Pete arranged for it to happen. I literally had to spend at least 12 hours a week in school and the rest of the time I had a tutor," she continued. "But I was that weird kid with the American accent who missed a lot of school and sometimes showed up with weird clothes on. It was a huge learning experience for me. I stayed with Sean Astin and his family most of the time. But I think having to juggle school and filming was a good lesson for me."

"Is there any project you're particularly proud of so far in your career?" Oprah asked.

"There's a few, but none that stand out to me completely just yet," Daphne started. "You know, my career is still going and I don't think I've reached my personal best yet. I think I still have a lot of growing to do as a person and as an artist before I can say one single project is better than any other," she paused. "I think that I'm proud of 'Rings' for the sheer fact that it happened. It was a massive undertaking on Pete's part-and everyone's part for that matter- and it really could have gone either way. To be a part of something that broke records and changed cinema as a whole is incredible. But it's even more incredible to say that I know everyone who worked on the films and I know how hard everyone worked and how badly we all wanted it to do well."

"I think I'm the most proud of 'Risk' so far because it was the first time I really acted. Playing a character like that one was such a departure from my previous work and it was such an incredible change to me and my personality. It's not an easy thing to do to enter into that head space and stay there for so long, so it was probably one of the most difficult roles I've done, at least for me as a fifteen year old," she continued.

"What about projects you're not so proud of? Do you regret taking any roles you have taken?" Oprah asked, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Daphne.

Daphne shook her head. "Not really. Every time I join a project I look at it differently. I try to see how much I can bring to the character and what I can do for the director and everyone else involved, to make it an enjoyable experience."

"What about typecasting? Ever experience that?" the other woman asked.

"I have been typecast in a way as the girl who only does series and only seems to do projects she can cash in on. And that's really not how it is at all. I choose characters that I want to bring to life. Sometimes they are part of a series and sometimes they aren't. In many ways it's a lot harder to do film series because it is such a large time commitment and very rarely are they filmed the way 'Rings' was filmed where it's back-to-back-to-back. Usually it's like 'Harry Potter' where you take time off and return. And its fun to return to the same group of people with the same family atmosphere, but it can be hard to know that you have to maintain a certain look for a certain period of time. Like Emma in 'Harry Potter', she wanted to chop her hair off so badly while filming but couldn't because she was restricted by her contract to keep in a certain length for the film. Its things like that that can cause some problems. Sometimes the time commitments are hard. Once you get in, it's really hard to justify leaving."

"You've had one of the longest careers in Hollywood for someone of your age. Have you ever considered leaving it behind and doing something else?" Oprah asked.

"I did. Honestly, I did," Daphne said nodding. "When Pete asked me to do 'The Hobbit' and come back and play my character's mother, I thought it was the perfect time to stop. I was back at the beginning, right back where I started and it was full circle. I really contemplated it. I had finished 'Harry Potter', I had wrapped up 'Lost'. There was no other series that I hadn't finished yet. And it was tempting. Really tempting."

"Do you think you deserved the Oscar for 'Risk'? You were quite young," Oprah asked.

"Initially I didn't. I felt that I was too young. Even now, looking back I feel that it came too soon. I wish I was a little older than I was. I often wonder if my career would have gone as far if I hadn't won," Daphne responded.

"Do you think you'd still be acting if films like 'Lord of the Rings', 'Harry Potter', and 'Pirates of the Caribbean' hadn't done so well?" Oprah asked.

"Probably not. I wasn't ever interested in acting. It's sort of something I stumbled upon. And once I started doing it I enjoyed it," Daphne said. "Because to me as an eleven year old kid, filming for 'Rings' was fun. I got to dress up in costumes, I got to play with swords and do all sorts of fun stunts and it never seemed like work to me. But then again, I think Pete made sure it never seemed like work to me. I really do credit him with my entire career for that reason. I think if things had been hard for me I probably never would have been in another film again."

"You're getting ready to shoot 'Suicide Squad', which involves the character of the Joker. When Heath Ledger died, you were openly devastated. Explain your relationship with Heath to me," Oprah said, changing the tone of the interview.

"He and I were very close," Daphne answered, biting her lip. "He fought Christopher really hard to let me have the role. He just saw something in me and knew I'd be perfect. The same way Pete did when I was younger. It's hard to explain. We had a very close relationship."

"Your dating life has been really big paparazzi fodder and kind of controversial at times. You caused quite a stir when you dated your 'Lord of the Rings' costar, Elijah Wood, at sixteen. Tell me about that," the other woman asked.

Daphne smiled at the mention of Elijah. "He was a great first boyfriend," she said with a laugh. "He was sweet and kind and we had so much in common. We really were close when we were filming together and we just got closer as we did press for the films. But it's really that he was there for me when I needed someone." She paused and thought. "I realize that some people may have seen it as inappropriate, but we were both consenting and I was definitely not a child. I hadn't been a child for a long time just because of how crazy my life had been-even up to filming for 'Rings'. We were only together for six months or something. And honestly, it wasn't really dating in terms of how I see it today," she said. "It was more just go out together, spend time together, and maybe kiss once or twice. It wasn't the way everyone was making it out to be. People were acting like we were filming sex tapes or whatever and it wasn't like that at all. It was actually pretty innocent to be honest."

"What about Daniel Radcliffe?" Oprah asked.

"Everyone was so determined to create a relationship there between us. Like they hunted for signs and tried to edit photos so that it looked like we were together. They wanted that to happen so badly. But it didn't. Dan and I are more like brother and sister than anything else," Daphne laughed.

"Let's take another break," the producer called.

Oprah turned to Daphne. "Are you alright? I know this is difficult to talk about some things."

Daphne nodded. "It's no big deal. I'd rather tell them my side of the story than sit here and let someone else make it up."

She nodded in response, allowing the makeup and hair people to do their job. After a few minutes, they were rolling again.

"Is there one person in Hollywood you haven't worked with yet, but would like to?" Oprah asked, starting the interview up again.

"I don't know," Daphne thought for a moment. "I'm excited to work with Jared just because I've seen his other work and I want to see how he does things, but I generally get excited with everyone I work with. I don't have a list or something of people I want to work with. I have people I enjoy working with more than others, but most of that comes because I've worked with them a lot more than others."

"Tell me about your charity, 'Leelah's Hope," Oprah asked.

"Leelah's Hope was originally an organization called the LBGTQ Collective that I got involved with a few years ago. We recently renamed it in honor of a seventeen year old transgender girl who committed suicide last December. She wrote several suicide notes explaining why she felt it was the only option for her and it really spoke to me in a sense that someone could think that throwing them self in front of a semi-truck going sixty to seventy miles an hour was the only way to make things better," Daphne said, pausing.  
"Her family refused to acknowledge Leelah as a female, even in death. And Leelah wrote in her suicide notes that she wanted her death to mean something. And since Leelah's parents won't keep her memory alive, someone has to," she continued.

"Leelah's Hope basically offers counseling and support to transgender, lesbian, bisexual, gay, and questioning individuals and their families and friends. It operates across the United States and we are trying to get it to expand into other parts of the world. It's also an organization that is working with lawmakers to improve and change laws for the LBGTQ community as a whole. We are heavily involved in the gay marriage issue as well as working with lawmakers to pass Leelah's Law, which would outlaw conversion therapy. It started out being focused to teenagers and young adults and it has now expanded to offer services to children as well as established adults and their families," Daphne finished.

"And every year you do a big fundraising event, correct?" Oprah asked.

"I do. In the past, I've auctioned off possessions of mine to raise money for Leelah's Hope but this year I'm auctioning off a date with me-essentially someone gets to spend the entire day with me. The only thing is you must be over eighteen, have a passport, and be legal to travel wherever I'll be on that date. I cover all the costs of getting you to see me," she stated. "In addition to me auctioning off a date, I'm able to add several other people to the list: Jared Leto, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Daniel Radcliffe, Ian McKellen, Michelle Rodriguez, Dakota Fanning, Darren Criss, Avan Jogia, Josh Hutcherson, Lee Pace, Anthony Rapp, Neil Patrick Harris, Orlando Bloom, Green Day, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Sam Smith, Beyonce, John Mayer, Katy Perry, Russell Brand, and so many more are all involved this year," Daphne continued.

"They're all either donating their time or personal items to be auctioned off. All the bidding is done online between October fifteenth and November Fifteenth which is Leelah's birthday and we are working on planning an event that will occur on that same date this year to honor those who are strong examples for the LGBTQ community as a whole and those who support it," she finished. "It's really important to me that Leelah be remembered and that her death not have been in vain because it shouldn't," Daphne added.

"Alright, that's a wrap," the producer said.

Everyone applauded as assistants scurried around to collect belongings and organize things for transport.

"Thank you so much for doing this," Oprah told the younger woman. "It really was a pleasure to talk to you. You're so sweet and kind."

Daphne blushed a little. "Thank you for doing what you've done. It was no big deal."


	9. Chapter 9

"Those eyes of yours could swallow stars, galaxies, and universes. What hope did I ever have?" -Unknown  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright, you two are going to need to get real close," David said, directing Daphne and Jared in front of the photographer's camera.

They were doing some publicity shots to be released in the next few days and it was the first time they had really seen each other's costumes in the flesh. Jared was shirtless, pale, and covered in crazy tattoos, but they weren't sure if they were going to keep them or not. It was an effort to give him a sexier feel. In reality, he was going to be covered more often and the tattoos wouldn't be visible and he'd be a much subtler sexy. Daphne had on a really sexy costume as well, but it was likely to stay the same for the film. A mini skirt fell just below her butt, making her fairly nervous about flashing everyone, and a crop top with a skull and cross bone symbol wearing a jester's hat barely covered her breasts. It was safe to say this was the sexiest role she'd ever taken on. Her dark hair had been highlighted with lime green strokes, mirroring Jared's. Her eyes were lined in black liner and a bright red lipstick highlighted her lips.

"Jared grab her and pull her to you," the photographer said. "Sex it up a bit."

Daphne felt him press himself up against her, his bare chest against her mostly-bare back. He pressed his right palm into her abdomen and brought his left one up to wrap around her neck lightly. "Like that?" he asked, causing a light shiver to go down Daphne's back.

"Good, but it's missing something. Just try a few things and we'll stop you if we don't like it," David replied. "Daphne I need your face this way," he added. "And give the eyes."

Daphne knew what he wanted. She had a trademark dusky stare that everyone wanted. Her green eyes already stood out with the kohl liner, but they had given her contacts that made them an electric green-another tribute to Jared's hair. She shifted her face toward the camera, narrowed her eyes, and opened her lips slightly as she felt Jared rest his teeth against her ear.

"Yes! Exactly that," David shouted in happiness. "THAT'S what we want."

Daphne squealed a little as she fought the urge to push Jared away. She felt him smile at her reaction. She had a strange thing about her ears being touched that she suspected developed from eighteen months of elf ears being glued to her head several times a day. The photographer snapped shots in rapid-fire. Jared pulled her to his chest even harder, digging his fingers into her hip and stomach. He lightly scraped his left hand down her throat.

"Jared that's PERFECT. Exactly what we want," David praised Jared. "Daphne, lean your head back a tiny bit-there. Perfect."

After a few more minutes, David had them change positions and do individual shots. This was the first time many people were seeing the extent of Ophelia and the Joker's relationship because she was a relatively new addition to the DC Comics universe. Very little had been revealed about her in the comic book world and they were getting fresh information from DC Comics themselves about her story. There was a great amount of buzz surrounding every actor in the film, but specifically Jared and Daphne seemed to be getting the greatest attention.

"Alright, we've got what we want," David said. "You guys can go get cleaned up."

Jared nodded, heading back to the makeup room to get hosed down. Daphne followed.

"You know I don't like my ears being touched," she told him as they walked down a silent hallway.

"I know," he replied. "But it seemed like the right thing to do. You did give me free rein to do whatever I felt was right in the moment."

She sighed. "I'm starting to regret that now."

He stopped. "Daphne, I'm not going to take advantage of you," he laughed. "I did it because I felt it was right. There needs to be a sex appeal between the two of us. Plus, with her being a figment of his imagination, I thought it made sense that he had complete control over her."

"I get that," she admitted. "But it just felt a little odd that things were THAT close."

He turned toward her, walking closer, causing her to walk backwards into the wall. "Daphne, it only feels weird because you let it feel weird."

She avoided his gaze. "I have a boyfriend, Jared. It's going to feel a little strange to have another man basically dry-humping me, strangling me, and biting my ear like I'm in some porno."

"I have nothing but respect for you and your relationship with Swedish boy," Jared said, leaning against the wall next to her. "But there can't be a wall there between us when we're filming. It won't work." He glanced over at her next to him. "I promise no funny business on set or off. Just friends."

"Jake. His name is Jake. Not 'Swedish boy'," she said, punching him lightly in the arm as she walked away.

He watched her walk with a smile on his face, admiring how incredibly short her skirt was and how much of her body was shown off. It was hard to keep his mind from wandering, but David's words echoed in his mind. He shook his head to clear it, pushing off the wall and following her down the hallway to get cleaned up.

A few days later, the photos were released, causing a media firestorm. People were shocked at how sexual they were and intrigued even more about the film itself. The photos even spurred the rumors about Jared and Daphne dating even further. However, they were on opposite sides of the planet as Jared had left the day after the photos were taken to return to his tour schedule, leaving Daphne to do press for 'Burnout'. Her filming schedule was exactly the same as Jared's and since Ophelia was in every scene the Joker was, Daphne didn't have to be on set.

She was in the process of reviewing scripts for projects after she finished the second season the 'Burnout', flipping through script after script in her hotel room. She looked up as a knock came against the door. She opened it, smiling wide when she saw who it was.

"Jack! I didn't expect to see you for another day or two!" she opened the door wider for him to come inside. He engulfed her in a bear hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I had a spare day so I came over early," he replied, coming into the room. He glanced at the coffee table laden with scripts and gave Kelly a wave and a smile. "Jesus, it looks like you robbed a Kinko's."

Daphne laughed. "I'm just reviewing options for my next project after next season."

"Oh to be famous and have directors begging you to be in their films," Jack joked. "It must be so damn hard."

She laughed. "Well since you're here maybe you can help me figure out what I want."

"If you want me to," he said with a smile.

Daphne had forgotten how much she loved spending time with Jack in the weeks it had been since they had seen each other. Because the main cast for the first season of 'Burnout' was so small, the studio was sending them all in different directions to cover as much ground as possible. It was rare for there to be interviews with more than one of them at a time. He sat down next to her on the sofa, sifting through the scripts laid out on the coffee table in front of them.

"Do you have a pile of ones you don't like?" he asked.

"Over here," she said, pointing to a rather large pile that had formed on the floor next to the sofa. "Those are ones I'm considering still," she said, pointing at the large number of scripts on the table.

He sighed. "Well, I guess you just narrow it down by start date, right?"

She glanced at the covers, removing two that had a start date that was too close to the last day of filming. "This one doesn't have a start date. It's sort of up in the air. I think the goal is to get me hired on and then finalize more."

He picked up the script she had mentioned. "What is it about?"

"It's about a couple who are trying to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of war. Basically the husband is a veteran who is paralyzed and becomes dependent on his wife," she answered. "It's a more female perspective on what it's like to be the caregiver in that situation and it focuses on the after-effects of war."

"So kind of like 'American Sniper'?" he asked.

"Not so much. The PTSD aspect is there, but it's much darker and the husband is more manipulative. It's darker," she replied. "Plus it explores how those relationships often end, the dependence the veteran feels and the reluctance the wife feels. She's trapped in this relationship-something she didn't sign up for when they got married- and feels intense guilt for feeling like she's trapped."

"Wow, who wrote it?" Jack asked, flipping through the pages.

"I think the Coen brothers did," she said.

"So why the hell hasn't it been picked up yet?" he asked in astonishment. "Those guys only turn out prime stuff."

"I think it's still in the early phases, so it could get picked up I guess," she said.

"It's one I'd take a look at. It really seems interesting," he said.

Daphne took the script from him and looked at it. It had caught her eye immediately after reading it and she was really intrigued in it. But nobody was attached to it yet, which was always risky. Sometimes studios would pull funding from things if they didn't like the pace at which it was being worked on. Even large budget blockbusters got funding pulled. She was hesitant to accept this role on the chance that the studio would pull its funding because it would mean losing out on other roles she had been offered. But that's how Hollywood worked. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the film and the concept. 'Battle-Scarred' was her next project.


	10. Chapter 10

"Innocence is out of style." -30STM  
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Jared sighed as he waited in the line for customs at the airport. All of this international traveling was crazy and it was really starting to wear him down. He was actually looking forward to filming because at least he'd be in one place long enough to put his clothes away in actual drawers. He had just finished the rest of the European tour and done several acoustic shows with Tomo and he was ready to relax a bit. In the past few days, he'd had a hard time focusing as he kept thinking about coming to Toronto and starting filming. It wasn't because he was getting into character-it was because he couldn't stop thinking about Daphne. He couldn't get her sexy gaze out of his mind. Even though he knew there were rules against the two of them getting involved-rules she had set down and rules David had set down- it didn't stop him from fantasizing about her.

Mara handed the guard their passports and they were waved through after a few questions. She led him to baggage claim where a large group of photographers was waiting. Jared was immediately blinded by their flashes as he rounded the corner, wheeling his suitcase behind him. He moved quickly, making sure his assistant was close by. After a quick wave, he opened the car door for both of them, allowing her to slide in first and following her right after. They rode in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

"You have tonight off and then tomorrow you do screen tests for costumes to finalize them," she said. "You have tomorrow evening free as well, but Thursday you start filming in the afternoon. It's a twelve hour day at least, I believe."

Jared nodded. "You can take tomorrow night off. I think I'm probably headed out with Daphne for her birthday." He glanced at his cell phone.

"Do you want me to arrange for any flowers or anything?" Mara asked, biting her lip. She had seen how much Jared had been thinking of Daphne and it made her slightly jealous.

"No, I got her something already before we left Rome," he answered in an offhand manner.

"Should I make reservations or anything for you two, then?" she asked.

He shook his head as he stared out of his window. "No, I think we're just going to play it by ear. Plus Kelly could set something up if we needed her to."

Mara rolled her eyes. She didn't know how he expected her to prove herself if h never actually let her do anything to show how capable she was. "Well if you need me to do anything, let me know."

"What do you think of Jake Gyllenhaal?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

She blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

He shifted in his seat to face her. "I mean, do you think he's attractive?"

Mara looked at Jared in confusion her eyebrows climbing into her hairline. She'd always known he was a big flirt and he flirted with everyone, men and women, but she never would have guessed that he flew THAT way. "I-uh-I guess he's sexy. I didn't think he liked guys, though. Do you-want me to set something up or…?"

He shook his head. "I'm not gay, Mara," he said with a smile. "I just wanted to know what you thought about him. Daphne's dating him."

She took a breath. "It's not really my place to say, Jared. It's not my relationship. And honestly, it's not yours either."

He glanced at her. "But you think he's a good match for Daphne?"

She sighed, understanding why he was asking. "It's not my place to say, Jared."

He bit his lip. He certainly didn't want to break them up, but he just didn't get the feeling that Daphne and Jake were really right for each other. She spoke about him so little, you'd think he didn't even exist in her mind. There was an undeniable connection between the two of them. He felt it every time they were near each other. It was electric. He knew she felt it, too. But he didn't want to push the limits. The car arrived at the hotel and they went to their rooms. Jared passed out on top of the comforter, too tired to even undress or get into bed properly. He fell asleep almost immediately.

The next day was filled with screen tests for costumes which basically entailed Jared and Daphne trying on different costumes wearing their full make up to see how they looked in front of the camera and in different lighting. The purpose was to finalize their costume choices and fix any issues that could arise before filming began. Because they were filming on a different schedule from the rest of the cast initially, their costumes were the last ones to be finalized.

"Jared could you just walk back and forth there?" David asked. "I want to see how it looks when you move."

Jared walked back and forth in front of the camera that had been set up on a tripod. His white suit jacket swayed in the breeze as he walked.

"Are you happy with the white?" the costume designer, Kate Hawley, asked. "We also have a black and a tweed brown that we can try."

Jared looked himself over in front of the mirror. "I like the black I think," he said, sliding the white blazer off and exchanging it for the black one hanging next to him. "It gives him a more debonair feel. Like a bit of 'Mad Men' thrown in there. I like it better. Much more refined and controlled."

"Yes, I like that," David said. "When he's wearing it he's more controlled and when he's not that's when you see the crazy side. Very good."

"So we will need five or six of those jackets," Kate said, making a note.

"But could we get it a bit more aged? It seems too crisp and new for him. It needs to be worn down a bit," Jared added, sliding off the jacket. "I want a few moth holes here and there, just to ruin the pristine image a bit." He handed the jacket over to the costume assistants and sat next to David on the sofa.

"Alright, Daphne," Kate called. "Let's see you next."

David looked at a piece of paper in his hand. "This is the gala dress, right?" he asked. Kate nodded. "Daphne, are you ready?"

Daphne walked out wearing a slinky back and red floor length gown. It was backless, with several strips of beat-up black lace intricately laced across her bare back. Jared perked up as she walked around, getting a feel for the costume's weight.

"Jared what do you think?" David asked. David had suggested early on that Jared have a bit of a say in Ophelia's costumes because she was a figment of the Joker's imagination and it would make more sense because he saw her in a specific light.

Jared got up and walked around Daphne, looking at the dress. "I like it, but it's too long and it's not decayed enough. I like the style and the slinkiness, but I don't see how she's supposed to do much of anything in this dress if it's so long."

Kate nodded in understanding. "We also toyed around with the concept of making a shorter version, but it looked a little too hooker-ish."

"Can we see those?" Daphne asked. "I always felt like the Joker saw Ophelia in that light. So it might actually be perfect."

Kate nodded and walked over to her drafting table, pulling out a few sheets of paper with a sketch on it. She handed them to Daphne and Jared. The dress was similar to the one she had on now, but it was much shorter and much more revealing. The back was the same, but there was a corset top attached and much more lace around the skirt. It almost looked like a modern, shorter version of a western saloon girl outfit.

"This is so much better. If we pair it with a pair of thigh-highs and stilettos, it's perfect," David said, looking over Jared's shoulder at the drawing. "Are you okay with that, Daphne?"

"I'm in high heels for the entire movie, so why not add another pair," she joked, handing the drawing to Jared. "I'm going to go change."

"Could you put on the daily outfit for us again? I just want to check something. I'm not sure I like the shoes we picked," Kate called after Daphne.

Daphne appeared a few seconds later in the same outfit from their photo shoot. David walked around her, eyeballing everything. "This might sound a little strange, but watching you two at the photo shoot, it hit me that something was missing."

Daphne and Jared looked at each other. "What?" she asked.

"We always viewed their relationship as a dominant/submissive one, right?" David asked. "So why not bring that concept into the costumes?"

"I'm not making her wear a ball gag," Jared said, causing the whole room to laugh. "I like hearing her speak too much." He shot Daphne a wink.

"How kind of you," Daphne replied, stroking his cheek softly.

"What if we added in a bit of latex and BDSM-ed it up a bit?" David asked. "You two can pull it off, obviously. I trust that. I just feel like Ophelia is basically just a cutesy, naughty Catholic school girl crossed with a western saloon girl. It needs something else. Something else to show his control over her."

"What, like a leash?" she asked.

David laughed. "Not that extreme. It has to be PG-13, but as sexy as you can get without pushing that boundary any further."

"I'll see what I can dig up and work out," Kate said, nodding.

"I definitely want a jacket to go over this top-long sleeves," David added. "And will you be able to walk in these?" He pointed to the black five inch stiletto heels Daphne had on her feet.

"It'll take some practice but I can," she said. "Are we using the same ones with each outfit?"

"No, we have another shoe-the same kind Harley wears," Kate said, pulling out a pair of hybrid heels. They looked like a cross between a sky-high stiletto and a gym shoe; sporty but sexy at the same time. "We have these in black."

Daphne nodded. "Alright, I can work with these," she said, handling them in her hands.

"Alright, you two go stand in front of the camera," David said.

Jared took Daphne's hand, helping her off of the pedestal and onto the waxed floor. Immediately, she felt herself slip because the soles of her shoes were not scuffed up enough to give her traction. In one swift movement, Jared had caught her and picked her up into his arms.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. She nodded. Their eyes met for several seconds and Daphne was very aware of the heat from his hands against her body.

"You can put me down now," she said softly.

He shook his head as if to clear it and then put Daphne's legs back down. "Sorry," he said.

"THAT'S the sexual tension I want," David said, oblivious to their conversation. "But Daphne, I need you to be much more sexual and submissive, almost as if you're obsessed with the concept of him dominating you."

Daphne nodded as she turned to face Jared. Jared wrapped his hand in her ponytail and gave it a gentle tug, causing her to gasp lightly. He smirked a little at her reaction, getting into character and putting a bit of a sadistic smile on his face.

"Now kiss her, Jared," David said, bringing the camera in closer.

Jared kept his eyes on hers, and it was a repeat of their audition months beforehand. He brought her face close to his, holding on to her jaw with his hand softly. Slowly, tantalizingly, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her, rolling his tongue against her lips. Daphne sighed against him, feeling herself dissolve into his body. Her head was still reeling when he stopped and David told them they could get changed and head back to the hotel.

"Let's go out and celebrate for your birthday," Jared said, coming into Daphne's room.

Their rooms were connecting, making it easier for them to spend time together without having to go anywhere. She glanced up from the script she was reading as he breezed into her room.

"Go out where?" she asked. "We'll be spotted in a heartbeat, sweetie." He gave her a confused look. "Not too many people have green hair in Toronto, darling. Plus, plenty of people know we're here so they'll be on the lookout for us."

"So?" he said. "It's your birthday. In my family we celebrate them."

"My birthday was five days ago," she said.

"Come on," he said, taking the script from her hands and setting it on the bed next to her. "Once we start filming we won't be able to do anything. Besides, Shannon is coming up to visit."

Daphne sighed. "You want me to go out with you two?"

"Why not? Hot girls always make the night more fun," he said, taking her hand. "Put on something sexy and came get me when you're ready."

She shook her head and laughed as she watched him shut the door behind himself. A few seconds later as she was digging through her closet for clothes, she heard Shannon's voice next door. It was strange that they spent so much time together, but Daphne figured it must be nice to have someone you can commiserate with when you're feeling kind of bad. She'd never had that, really. Of course she had friends and costars, but it wasn't the same when they weren't your relatives.

Daphne selected a navy blue halter top mini dress that her stylist had packed for her. She left her hair down-it had curled into loose ringlets-and slid on a pair of black and silver stiletto ankle booties. She brushed a bit of mascara across her eyelashes and added a bit of nude lipstick and a bit of a dramatic smoky eye before grabbing a black clutch and leaving a note for Kelly on the desk. She went into Jared's room, tilting her head at the vision that met her eyes.

"Well this is a nice sight to behold," she said with a smile.

Shannon and Jared were both lounging on the bed and sofa, respectively. Jared had just gotten out of the shower and only had a towel wrapped around his waist. Jared was working on his laptop and Shannon was watching a TV show. He did a double take when he saw her in the doorway.

"Damn," he said, looking her up and down. He got up and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, resting his arms around her waist. "You look sexier every time I see you."

She blushed a little at his open flirting. "You're not too bad yourself, Shannon." She turned to Jared. "Jared, as much as I'm enjoying this sexy image, you can't go out nude in Toronto. They'll arrest you for it."

Jared got up and walked toward her, well aware that her eyes were trailing down his bare chest and resting on the towel that barely clung to his hips. "You know you like it," he teased her softly.

She smiled at him sweetly before shoving him lightly away. "If you won't get dressed, I'll just go out with Shannon."

Shannon's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. He took her hand and led her to the door, waving Jared off as he passed him. "See ya baby bro," he said with a smile.

Jared laughed. "Alright, give me like two minutes."

"We'll be in the hall," Shannon said, closing the door behind him.

Daphne noticed he hadn't dropped her hand yet. She smiled at him. He was sexy in an odd ball way-kind of like the way Ben Stiller or Owen Wilson or Dax Shepherd were. Quirky, but still sexy.

"You must have a lot of guys going crazy over you," he said, leaning against the wall on his side to face her.

She nodded. "It would appear that way, yes." She turned to lean against the wall and face him. "What about you? Are you crazy about me?" She fixed him with her signature flirtatious gaze, enjoying him fidget under it.

"I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought of things," he said, meeting her eyes with his. "You certainly are a good pole dancer."

She smiled and bit her lip. "I thought you'd enjoy those." He chuckled softly, lowering his head to avoid being recognized as two younger women passed by them. "I know you've got a crush on me," she added after they passed by.

Shannon gave her a bit of a shocked look. "How do you know?"

"Let's just say I'm pretty good at reading people," she laughed, reaching up to lightly push his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. She enjoyed his small shudder as her fingers barely brushed his face. "I also know Jared's got a crush, too. That one is slightly more obvious."

"You enjoy teasing don't you?" Shannon laughed.

"Considering my relationships hardly work out, I figure what's the harm in flirting," she replied, giving him a smile.

"But you're dating that Jake Gyllenhaal guy," he said. She nodded with a sigh and Shannon laughed. "Gee, you seem so excited about that."

She shook her head. "It's not that," she said. "It's just that I get a feeling that he likes me, but he doesn't want to sleep with me."

He gave her a dumbfounded look. "Is he secretly blind?" She laughed and blushed a little. "Seriously, Daphne. Is he? You'd have to be blind or gay not to even think about doing that with you. And even then, I know a few gay men who would gladly turn straight just to fuck you-not to be crude or anything."

She smiled at him. "Are you on that list?"

"I'm not gay," he laughed. "And I'm definitely not blind."

"It's just strange. I've known how he's felt for a long time," she said. She was suddenly aware of how easy it was to talk to Shannon and how easy things came between them. "But it feels like he's reluctant to move forward now that he's gotten where he is with me."

Shannon nodded. "The anticipation was more fun than the actual act."

She shook her head. "I think it's both of us, to be honest. We've been friends for so long it's hard to make that transition."

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah. The Friend Zone is never easy to get out of," he laughed. "Maybe you two aren't meant to have that type of relationship. I'm close with lots of girls I'm attracted to, but I know nothing will ever come from it just because we've been friends so long that it would be weird to make that jump. Doesn't mean I don't find them attractive or even think about them that way, though."

She nodded with a smile. "So what have you thought about doing to me, then?" she asked, getting closer to him.

He inhaled sharply and ran his tongue across his bottom lip. "The mind wanders," he replied with a smile.

"But how far?" she asked, giving him a sexy wink.

Just then Jared came out of the room and stopped in his tracks, giving Shannon a bit of a glare. "Am I interrupting something? Do you want the room for a while, Shan?"

Daphne looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Jealous?"

He gave her a seductive grin. "Come on," he said, taking her hand. Shannon followed behind.


	11. Chapter 11

"He carries the stars in his pockets because he knows she fears the dark. Whenever sadness pays her a visit, he paints galaxies on the back of her hands." -Alaska Gold  
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They were able to sneak into a bar through the back entrance without anyone noticing them. They claimed a table in a dark corner and settled in. They were all drinking in small amounts, limiting themselves because they were filming the next day. They were sitting in a corner booth, Jared on one side of Daphne, Shannon on the other. Daphne was already starting to feel a bit of a buzz and Jared was enjoying seeing her lose her inhibitions a little bit.

"So Daphne," Jared started, taking a swig from his drink before setting it back on the table. "What turns you on?"

She gave him a bit of a laugh and turned to face him a bit. "So we're playing that game now, then?"

"Just a curiosity of mine," he replied with a bit of a grin on his face.

She gazed at him, well aware of his flirting. He didn't seem to care about whom he flirted with, that was obvious. Nor did he care who he was flirting in front of. In fact, Shannon was almost exactly the same. Daphne had noticed that Jared flirted with everyone-men and women- and almost seemed to enjoy watching his 'conquests' squirm under his attention.

"Tell me Jared," she said, moving closer to his ear. "Do you ask everyone that question or just the people you want to sleep with?" He narrowed his eyes, enjoying the game she was playing. "I know your dirty little secret," she said in his ear.

"And what's that?" he asked with a grin.

"You like to flirt. You like getting people excited. It's a game to you," she replied. "But what you don't know is that I can play that game, too." She scooted over to Shannon who was watching their exchange with a smile on his face. "See, you and I have a rule, Jared. Hands off, right?" She glanced back at him as he bit his lip. "But I don't have that rule with Shannon." She ran her fingers across Shannon's neck, trailing them down across his chest.

Shannon stared blankly at the table in front of him, fighting the urge to grab her and kiss her. He knew she was playing with both of them and he knew she was enjoying the teasing. Hell, he was enjoying it, too. It was nice to get attention from a woman, especially one as sexy as Daphne. It was a nice ego stroke. But it didn't do anything to stem the thoughts he was having of her or the things he wanted to do to her.

"I could tease you both all night long and I don't think either one of you would care," she said with a smile, leaning back against the pleather booth and crossing her legs.

Jared let out a low sigh. "See, this is why you and I work so well together, Daphne. We're both beautiful, smart, funny, well-educated people who also happen to have great legs."

She laughed loudly. "Nice to see Rayon hasn't completely disappeared."

Shannon laughed as he got up. "If only you knew, Daphne. If only you knew." He walked to the bathroom, leaving Jared and Daphne alone.

"So how much longer are we playing this 'Turn Each Other on As Much As We Can' game?" she asked Jared.

"As long as you want," he replied, his mouth hovering close to her ear.

She gazed at him in the dim light, narrowing her eyes a small amount to get a better view of his face. His blue eyes were sparkling with laughter as they stared each other down.

"What I don't get, sweetheart," he started. "Is how you can be so open about flirting when you've made it clear you've got a boyfriend?"

She sighed. "Jake and I probably won't be 'Jake and I' for much longer." She rested her chin on her hand heavily, twirling her straw in her drink.

Jared blinked. "But he's crazy about you, that's what it seems like anyways."

She nodded. "I know. But I just don't get the feeling that he's into me like that. Or maybe I'm not into him like that. I don't know." She shook her head in confusion. "We haven't even slept together yet. It doesn't even feel like he wants to."

Jared's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "You two haven't…"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Is he blind? Or gay?" Jared asked, sipping his drink.

She chuckled. "Shannon said the same thing."

"Look, maybe he just isn't sure you want to sleep with him," he replied. "You do…don't you?"

She nodded. "I mean, I guess."

He smiled. "Well there's your problem, darling. You heart's not in it." He glanced over at the bathroom to see if Shannon was coming out yet. "Trust me; it's easier to leave someone BEFORE you sleep together than it is to leave afterward."

She sighed. "But how do I know you aren't just saying this because you actually have a crush on me?"

He paused and blinked, shocked with her revelation. "Did Shannon tell you?" he asked, sliding away from her a bit.

Daphne shook her head. "I figured it out all on my own," she said with a laugh. "It's so obvious, Jay. I don't mind though."

He smiled slightly, running his tongue against his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to speak, but Shannon came back to the table.

"Alright, Daphne want to dance?" he asked, holding his hand out to her.

She glanced over at Jared, who nodded slightly and leaned back against the booth. She took Shannon's hand and got up, giving Jared a nice view of her ass. He grinned to himself as he watched them move away. The bar was full of people bobbing to the beats coming over the speakers. Shannon navigated the way easily, pulling Daphne through the crowd gently until they were in the center of a large group of people. He pulled her to face him, resting his hands against her slim hips. She smiled seductively at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and coming in closer to him. His eyes never left hers as they moved with the hypnotic beat. She looked over at Jared who was just sitting there, watching them with an amused look on his face.

She turned her attention back to Shannon, enjoying the feel of his hands against her body and the light pressure he was applying to pull her closer to him. They danced like that for another ten or fifteen minutes before he got tired and decided to head back to the table, bringing her with him. Jared met them halfway, taking Daphne's hand from Shannon's and guiding her back out on the dance floor. He had rhythm, but next to zero dance ability. She laughed at his inability to move rhythmically and placed her hands on his hips to try to guide them.

"If you wanted to grab my ass, all you had to do was ask," he growled sexily in her ear.

She laughed again as he pulled her closer. "For a musician, you have terrible rhythm for dancing."

"I'm not supposed to be a good mover, just a good singer," he replied, meeting her eyes. "My talents are wasted on the dance floor. Come check them out in bed," he winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she asked, turning her back to him.

She spotted Shannon watching her intently as she danced with Jared. What she didn't see was the phone in a girl's hand as she took a photo of the two of them. Jared turned her to face him again, holding her close. Both of them were oblivious to the camera snapping photos next to them, Jared because of Daphne's closeness and Daphne because of the copious amounts of alcohol she had imbibed. Shannon however spotted it and made his way over quickly, albeit slightly clumsily. He tapped Jared's shoulder and whispered in his ear, taking Daphne's hand and pulling her after him as they made a beeline for the door.

"Dude, how did you miss that?" Shannon asked as they walked down the street.

"It's been a while since I drank, alright?" Jared said, hurrying after his brother. "I'm not as alert about things as I usually am. Give me a break."

They stopped after rounding a corner, leaning against a brick wall. Daphne had turned an interesting shade of green as they rushed away and she was now leaning heavily against the brick. Jared took one look at her and knew what was going to happen.

"Daphne, let's find you a trash can," he said, taking her hand and leading her over to one nearby.

She teetered on her heels as she tried to stay balanced. Instead, Shannon ended up holding her up as she vomited profusely into the mostly-empty trash can. Jared held her hair back, looking around to make sure no one recognized them-because that was the last thing they needed then.

"Get it all out," Shannon said, rubbing her back lightly. "This is why I don't drink very often."

"No, you don't drink very often because you don't know your limits and you turn into a crazy moron who does stupid shit," Jared corrected his brother.

Shannon nodded. "That's true."

Daphne moaned, taking a break from emptying her stomach contents into the metal trash can in front of her. Jared winced at the sound of her vomiting again and looked away. Shannon was a little wobbly, but still functioning. Between the three of them, they were all well over the legal blood-alcohol limit.

"This is why we never go drinking," he added. "Because we always go overboard."

Jared laughed a little. "Alright, I think she's done."

Daphne had stopped vomiting and was now leaning heavily against the trashcan, one hand on either edge, breathing deeply. Jared surveyed the damage.

"You kind of got it into the trashcan," he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the sight in front of him.

Daphne moaned again, collapsing against Shannon. "Okay, we need to get her back to the hotel," Shannon said.

"Are you good to walk?" Jared asked his brother.

"Yeah, but I can't carry her," Shannon replied. Even in the dim light of the alley they were stopped in, Jared could see his brother was a little green himself.

He sighed and took Daphne from him. "If you're going to puke, puke. I'm not stopping again. People already know we were out. They'll be at the hotel soon enough."

"I'll be good, I think. Let's just get going," Shannon replied.

"I guess I'm carrying her," Jared said, leaning down to hoist Daphne into his arms. She was surprisingly heavy when she was passed out. He hefted her small frame in his arms and nodded his head for Shannon to take the lead.

They meandered their way through the streets as inconspicuously as they could, being two slightly drunk men in their forties carrying the intoxicated body of a scantily-dressed young woman through the streets of Toronto in the middle of the night. Finally they reached the hotel and managed to scurry past the front concierge without trouble. In the elevator, Daphne came to a little bit.

"Hi," Jared said, looking down at her.

She groaned and shifted in his arms, looking around the confined space. Shannon was leaning against the opposite wall, forehead pressed against the cool mirrored wall. The elevator dinged and Jared had to reach his foot out and kick his brother to get him to move off the elevator. A rather large forehead print was left on the mirror in his stead. Jared rolled his eyes and led him down the hallway.

"I can walk," Daphne said quietly.

Jared put her down and immediately she started to sink down to the floor, her legs giving out under her weight. She was wobbly on her high heels.

"Why don't we take these off," he said, sliding her feet out of the shoes and tossing them to his brother. "Here. Hold these."

Shannon looked at the shoes in his hands in confusion. "These are so not my style."

"Yeah, I'm never going drinking with either one of you again," Jared muttered under his breath as he opened his hotel room with his key card.

He picked Daphne back up and carried her through the open doorway to her room, dropping her as gently as he could on her bed. The only light in the room came from the light in Jared's room. He turned to see Shannon, still examining Daphne's shoes, standing in the doorway.

"Give me those, you dumbass," he said, taking the shoes from his brother. He tossed them through the doorway behind him. "Are you good to go?" he asked, steadying Shannon with an arm on each shoulder. He looked into his eyes, trying to gain perspective on his intoxication. "'Cause I'm not leaving her alone in there if she's puking this much. I don't want her to choke or anything."

"Yes, I'll be fine, go," Shannon said, nodding.

Jared nodded in contentment, turning to go into Daphne's room. "I'm going to leave this open, ok?" he asked, pointing toward the door. "Yell if you need anything."

Shannon nodded before collapsing onto the bed face-down like a starfish, both arms and legs stretched out on either side of his body, loud snores escaping his open mouth. Jared sighed and went into Daphne's room. He didn't want to leave her in that dress-it didn't look too comfortable and the halter top also seemed like a plausible choking hazard. He kicked her shoes out of the way and went to her suitcase, unzipping it carefully. He sifted through the various articles of clothing before finding a pair of shorts and a tank top. He took the opportunity to investigate her underwear as well, pleasantly surprised to see a mixture of slightly slutty ones alongside the more practical ones. He was so busy debating whether or not to choose a slutty pair of underwear for Daphne that he didn't notice Shannon had stopped making noise. It hit him and he paused, listening in the silence for his brother to breathe. He let out a sigh of relief when a loud snort escaped him. Jared stood, moving through the mostly-dark room. He tossed the clothes in the bathroom and went over to pick up Daphne. She was semi-conscious enough to notice it was him. He set her down on the bench in the walk in shower and knelt down in front of her.

"Daphne, you should take a shower. You need to get as much of this out of your system as you can before tomorrow," he said, shaking her slightly. Her head lolled to the side and a small snore escaped her lips. He growled. "This is not what I wanted to do," he said to himself.

He slid his shirt off and stripped down to his boxers before returning to Daphne and lifting her arms over her head to take off her dress. He tried to avoid looking at her as he took the dress off and tossed it outside of the shower. He left her underwear on and flipped the water on. It came down on them both from the rainwater shower head above. He sighed as she came to when the water hit her face. She was still REALLY drunk. He hosed her off as best as he could, getting her long hair (and the vomit that had gotten into it) and shampooing it as well as he could.

He lifted her up, holding her bare chest against his as he shut the water off and went to dry them both off. He wrapped her in the towel as best as he could. It was really hard to keep his mind on the task at hand when he had a mostly-naked, very attractive woman in his arms. It would have been so easy for him to gawk at her completely, but the gentleman in him-damn him to hell-kept him from doing that. He slid the tank top over her head and down her body. He clenched his jaw as his hand brushed against her breast. He picked her up in his arms and took her to the bed, laying her down gently and sliding her soaked underwear down over her ankles. He quickly slid the fresh ones on and pulled the shorts over top of them. He settled her into the bed and turned to go grab some fresh clothes of his own when he heard her soft voice.

"Don't leave me alone," she said quietly. "I hate being alone. I'm always alone."

He was shocked at her speaking. He turned to face her. "I'll be right back. I'm not going anywhere."

Jared went into the other room after pressing a kiss against her forehead. He hurriedly grabbed a fresh set of boxers and pajama bottoms, sliding them on as he tried to write a note to Shannon-telling him where he was in case he woke up-simultaneously. The result was a hastily-scribbled, barely legible note written on a Post-It that Jared simply slapped onto his brother's forehead. He went back into Daphne's room and saw that she was asleep. As he settled in on the sofa after checking on her one last time, it suddenly hit him that her plaintive cry for him not to go wasn't merely one of drunkenness, but also one of a lonely child who didn't seem to have anyone in this world. And it was mostly true. She was alone, even though she had so many fans, and had been for a very long time.


	12. Chapter 12

"Although we never said it to each other, I think we both knew." -Unknown.  
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"What the fuck are you doing in here?" a voice jarred Jared from his sleep. He shot up in confusion, knocking his head on the wall lamp that hung on the wall above him.

"Shit," he hissed, rubbing the spot and wincing in pain as he reached up to turn the light on and locate the offending voice. His face paled a bit as he saw Jake Gyllenhaal standing in front of him, looking rather angry. "Hi."

Jake glared at him, crossing his arms as he glanced around the room. Daphne was still asleep in the bed and Jared could still see Shannon's form on the bed through the open door. He sat up and swung his legs off the bed, standing up slowly.

"Jake, nice to see you again," he said, plastering a smile on his face, despite the searing headache he now had. Although, he wasn't sure if it was a result of his hangover from the night beforehand or the large bruise forming on his forehead from the light.

Jake took his hand and shook it politely. "What the hell are you doing in my girlfriend's room?" he asked again.

Jared paused when he said 'girlfriend', but thought better of addressing that fact when he saw Jake's heavily-muscled arms in his t-shirt. "We went out to a bar last night," he said.

Jake glared at him and produced his cell phone. "I know," he said, showing Jared a photo of him and Daphne dancing closely together. "I know you two are friends and everything. And I've seen the publicity shots of you guys in character and everything and I can handle all of that." Jake looked around the room and lowered his voice when he saw Daphne stir slightly on the bed. "What I don't like seeing is you sleeping in my girlfriend's room."

Jared glanced at Daphne. "Obviously I slept on the couch," he said. "Plus the door's open. Do you really think anything is going to happen when my brother is sleeping right there?" Jake was unmoved. "She had a little too much to drink last night and I didn't want to leave her alone in case something happened, alright?"

Jake glanced at Shannon. "And you didn't care enough about your brother to keep an eye on him?"

Jared shrugged. "He's used to being drunk. Holds his liquor better than most people, I think."

Jake smiled, though it didn't spread to his eyes. "Right," he said, nodding. "I know what you're doing. And you need to stop it."

Jared glanced around in confusion. "I should stop trying to keep Daphne safe?"

Jake sighed in frustration. "Stop flirting with her. Stop being all cutesy with her. You're her costar and that's it."

Jared narrowed his eyes at the taller man, enjoying his nervousness. "Why do you care so much? You must not trust her enough to know that she'd never cheat on you-or anyone for that matter. Unless you're worried that she's getting something from me that you haven't given her yet?" He waggled his eyebrows at the younger man before placing his hand on Jake's shoulder.

Jake shrugged it off, biting his lip. "Don't-don't touch me," he said quietly, shaking his head to keep from punching Jared in the face.

Jared shrugged as he walked into the other room. "Dude, you gotta fuck her," he said simply before shutting the door quietly.

Jake felt the color rising in his cheeks as he turned and faced Daphne. He couldn't believe she'd tell other people about their love life-or lack thereof.

Later that day, Daphne was completely in costume to shoot her first scene with Jared. The set was bustling with people running around. Her makeup artist was touching up her face in the new lighting for the scene as Daphne ran over her lines again. Jared was sitting next to her, but the two of them weren't talking to each other. She was very aware of Jake's gaze on her as he watched her from behind the camera.

After Jared had left the room, Jake had woken Daphne up, slightly upset with everything. He had surprised her in coming, but he certainly didn't expect to see what he saw in her room when he arrived. He was furious when he told her about his encounter with Jared that morning, and it wasn't exactly how she had wanted to start her first day of shooting. She was already nervous about everyone staring at her. There had been a distinct focus on her reactions to everything Jared did as the Joker because they all thought she'd have a breakdown or something due to her relationship with Heath. If she was going to have a breakdown, it wouldn't be because of her feelings for Heath, but rather because of the stress she was under with having to act with Jared while Jake watched.

Jared spoke quietly, breaking the silence between them. "I'm sorry about this morning."

She rolled her eyes. "Really? You had to tell him about what I told you? You just couldn't keep it to yourself?"

He sighed and leaned closer to her. "I didn't mean to cause problems between you two."

She bit her lip. "There are already problems between us, Jared. That's not your fault. But you certainly didn't help the situation by bringing that up. And you shouldn't have slept in my room."

"Well, sorry for not wanting you to die on your own puke in the middle of the night," he said, louder than he anticipated, drawing several gazes from production assistants near them. He glanced at them before lowering his voice. "I was just trying to be a friend. I thought that's what we were?"

She glared at him. "Is that really what we are? Because last I checked, my friends didn't undress me and hose me down in the shower when I was passed out drunk," she whispered to him.

He winced at the mention of his actions. "In my defense you had vomit in your hair and I didn't think you wanted to wake up like that in the morning."

She rolled her eyes. "It still doesn't change the fact that you saw me naked."

"I didn't see anything. I wasn't trying to make it like that," he said. "Besides, do you really take me for that type of guy?"

She shook her head. "No. Of course not. You'd never take it from a girl like that. You're the type who just pays for it because it's easier than the possible rejection."  
He withdrew like he had been slapped in the face. She stood up and went over to her mark, standing in the lighting and letting the light technician adjust a few things. Jared shook his head and looked over at Jake, who was talking on the phone. He could feel the anger radiating off of Daphne like heat waves on a tarmac.

"Alright Jared, we're ready for you," David called.

Jared got up, leaving his script on the chair behind him and walked over to his mark. He was supposed to emerge from the shadows on the warehouse-like setting they were shooting inside of and address Ophelia. It was supposed to be the first scene in the entire film, but it was also supposed to be very simple and easy. He was just supposed to walk forward out of the shadows, stop at a highlighted mark a few feet away from Daphne, say his line, and then she was supposed to turn and face him, giving the audience their first full look at her. Then the camera would pan around back to him after she gave her line, giving the audience its first full look at him.

He waited for her to get into place, closing his eyes to drown out all the other noise and focus specifically on the task at hand. He hadn't done much practice in terms of using his voice in front of everyone, so it was the first time everyone would be getting the full effect of the costume and the voice, with everything else.

"Rolling!" the cinematographer's assistant called.

"Action-Jared!" David called.

Jared walked through the shadows to his mark, hearing the metal jingling on his costume and feeling everything coming to him. He stopped and said his first line. "Hello, my little demon," he said, his voice a deep seductive mixture of a growl and whisper.

Daphne turned to face him and stopped. Her entire mind went blank. When she saw Jared and heard the voice he was using, all she could think of was Heath. His smile. His laugh. His eyes. His voice. They all flashed before her eyes as she frantically tried to focus on what was in front of her. Then her mind flashed to the morning she found him on the floor in his apartment in New York City, cold and lifeless. The scream she let out and the horrible nightmares that followed. The late night conversations they'd had where he told her about how he couldn't sleep, how he had these thoughts, how he'd take so many pills. It all came flooding back to her and she froze. She forgot her anger at Jared and her confusion about Jake. She forgot everything.

And she started to cry. The tears ran down her face and she started to sob. Jared read her thoughts and rushed forward, catching her in his arms as she collapsed into him. He glanced over at David who just nodded, looking around for Jake, who had approached when he saw what was happening.

"I had a feeling this was going to happen," David said to Jared. "Jake, could you get her calmed down and we will just do a few shots with Jared while this gets figured out."

Jared shifted Daphne into Jake's arms, giving him a nod as his wardrobe assistant came over to adjust his costume and a makeup girl came to redo his makeup. He glanced around for Daphne, but he couldn't find her. David called for a reset and they did a few more close ups of his face. Meanwhile, Jake had set Daphne down in a quiet corner and was kneeling in front of her. She had stopped crying, but now she was upset because she ruined the shot. David had finished with Jared for the moment and came over, Jared following close behind.

"Daphne, it's fine," David reassured her. "We have all actually been waiting for that to happen. You lasted longer than we thought you would," he said with a sweet smile on his face. He knelt in front of her, trying to loosen the tension.

She nodded, a smile coming to her face. "I really thought I'd be fine with it. I really did. But I just turned and it just wasn't what my brain had expected."

David gave her knee a squeeze. "I know, sweetheart. I know. But you said you trusted Jared with this. So you have to trust him."

Jared was hovering in the background a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, chin resting on his fist. He was glancing between Daphne and David and Jake. Jake on the other hand had a bit of a crestfallen look on his face.

"Are you able to shoot again?" David asked. "Because there is plenty we can do without you today if you need some time. I know it's not going to be easy for you."

She nodded. "I'll be fine," she said. "I'm just sorry I ruined the take. I honestly thought everything was god with all of this."

David gave her a smile and stood up, patting her bare knee. He called for hair and makeup and within seconds, a flurry of activity surrounded Daphne. She was so focused on trying to get back into character and push all thoughts of Heath from her mind that she didn't even notice Jake and Jared talking.

"Tell Daphne I'm headed back to the hotel," Jake said. "I think it's upsetting her to have me here."

Jared knew what was going on, though. Jake had seen it in her eyes just as much as Jared had. That look that a widow has when she is faced with the loss of her lover. Jared could see that Daphne was completely in love with Heath. And presumably, Jake could as well. Jared chose to ignore this and simply nodded.

"I'll try to remember," he said, shaking Jake's hand. "It was good to see you again."

Jake gave him a weak smile before walking away, leaving Jared in the distance. As he watched Daphne get fixed up again, he couldn't help but wonder how hard it must be to be in her position. Her reaction a few moments ago coupled with what she had said the night beforehand back in her hotel room made him think she was extraordinarily lonely. That she had lost her friend and her lover and that she still hadn't gotten over it, even several years after his death. And suddenly his desire to become close with Daphne dissipated, leaving only the desire to befriend her in its place.


	13. Chapter 13

"That was her gift; she filled you with words you didn't know were there." -Atticus  
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Several days had passed and everyone was settling into a routine in terms of filming. Since they were still filming as two separate units, Daphne and Jared spent nearly all of their time together and had no interaction with the rest of the cast. They literally woke up at the same time, went to set at the same time, and went back to their hotel at the same time. Every second was basically spent together. It was interesting for Jared to see how much more relaxed Daphne was around him when Jake had left. It was almost as if she was a completely different person. Not to mention he had turned off the flirting and charms after seeing her reaction on their first day of filming. Of course, she never told him a word of how she truly felt about Heath. But he could tell.

Daphne and Jake split amicably, not that they were ever really together. He had come back to the hotel and booked a flight, leaving her a note and promising to call when he felt better. She knew it was for the best. She also knew they were just better off as friends. He understood her better than most people and she knew he wasn't going anywhere. After a few days of radio silence to lick their wounds, they were back to being their usual friendly-flirty selves, as if nothing had changed.

The media, however, was having a field day with all the photos they were getting of the two of them out and about. They hardly ever went out after the bar incident, but when they did there were always fans waiting outside the hotel lobby as they went in or out. Usually they'd stop to take a few photos or sign a few autographs and it wasn't a big deal. It was amusing to Daphne that a majority of the fans that showed up only seemed to want Jared's autograph or photo and he flirted with nearly everyone there.

They were relaxing one afternoon after a long night shoot that had run from the night beforehand to very early that morning. They had a day or two off and Jared was prepping for a surprise concert he was doing in Toronto with his band while Daphne was reading over the script for 'Battle-Scarred' for the tenth time. Each time she read it she was drawn more and more into it. Ava Duvernay had signed on to direct it and Daphne had already spoken with her about the film.

"Daphne, what are you reading?" Jared asked, looking over her shoulder. "That's like the third time I've seen you read that same script since we got to Toronto." She flipped the script shut and showed him the cover. He leaned in closer to read it. "'Battle-Scarred', what's it about?" he asked.

She handed it to him and he flipped through it. "It's really interesting. It's got an interesting husband-wife dynamic and it seems to be really intense. I signed on already, but it's still really early."

"Could I borrow this? I've been looking for my next project and this one looks really interesting," he said.

She nodded. "They're waiting for people to get involved. If you're interested, I'd act fast. That's a Coen piece, and you know how fast those things go."

He smiled at her. "Are you coming to the show tonight?" he asked. "I can get you in. I know a guy," he said with a wink.

She smiled. "I don't know. If I show up, won't that just sort of continue the whole 'Jared and Daphne are dating' rumor?"

He shrugged. "So? Why should it matter?"

"Because if I go, they won't be focusing on your music, they'll be looking for me and trying to see how we interact with each other," she laughed. "It wouldn't be about you guys."

Tomo came into the room with a smile. "Honestly, I think he enjoys the attention. He likes knowing that people think you two are together because the reality is, he could never get you on his own," he joked, elbowing Jared in the ribcage.

She smiled at this and blushed a little. "I know how Jared feels about me. It's not like he's trying to hide it. But I don't date people I'm working with and he knows that." She got up and went into her room.

Jared followed her into her room, still holding the script in his hands. "Come on, you have to come tonight. I'll get you backstage access and everything. No one will even know you're there." He sat on the edge of her bed, watching her move around her room in search of something. "You've never seen us live. You have to. I mean, we shot a music video in your house. It's the least we can do."

She nodded. "I'll think about it," she said, offhandedly. She was rifling through her suitcase, still looking for something.

"What are you doing?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"I'm looking for something," she said, touching the space on her neck that usually housed an intricate locket. Only it was bare. She kept touching it, almost impulsively as if to see if the locket had magically reappeared around her neck.

"Is it this?" Jared asked, holding the locket out to her.

It was a silver heart with her initials on it on a silver chain. She rarely took it off. She stopped and rushed over, relief evident on her face.

"Where did you find it!" she said, reaching for it.

He held it and stood behind her, placing it around her neck. "I saw it this morning in the makeup trailer. You left it behind so I picked it up. I know you almost always have it on, so I figured it had to be important to you." He closed the small clasp and sat back down.

She smiled in relief. "My grandfather gave it to me for my tenth birthday. I've worn it every day since he gave it to me."

"It's beautiful," he said quietly. He looked up as Tomo, Shannon, Emma, and Mara came into the room.

"We're headed to the venue for sound check," Emma said. "Meet you there in an hour?"

He nodded, waving to them as they left. "I have a few things to take care of first," he called. He turned back to Daphne. "So, we have this scene coming up-," he started.

"The pole dancing scene?" she asked. His eyebrows shot into his hairline because it seemed as though she read his mind. "We're shooting it at the end of the week. What about it?"

He blinked in shock, trying to remember what he was saying. "I just wanted to make sure everything is okay between us and that we'd be alright when filming. Considering how things went before."

She smiled at him, almost in a patronizing manner. "I'm not going to have a breakdown. For God's sakes, we've been filming together for almost a week and I've been fine about everything. Why would this scene be any different?"

He sighed and shifted on the bed a bit. "Well, it requires us to be a bit more…physical," he said.

She blinked at him. "When have I ever given you the impression that us being physical would be an issue? I thought you were fully exercising your 'complete freedom to do whatever I want when in character' rule?"

He scratched his chin. "I just wanted to make sure everything would be alright. This isn't going to be like the other scenes where I've just moved you or pulled you. It's much more physical on my part."

She smiled again. "I appreciate your concern but I don't really think it's an issue. I trust you. I trust that you'll do the right thing for the scene and the story. And I trust that David will work out whatever issues that might come up." She walked by him, patting his shoulder lightly. "I don't understand why you're so worried about it. It's not like we're stripping down to our skivvies and dry humping," she laughed.

He laughed. "I know. It's just been a while since I've done one of these scenes and I wanted to make sure you'd be comfortable."

"Well, we aren't rehearsing it, if that's what you mean," she said.

"Why not?" he asked in a teasing manner, pulling her to him. "We haven't rehearsed anything yet. Practice makes perfect," he said with a wink.

She shrugged out of his grasp. "Don't you have a concert to go to or something?" she asked over her shoulder.

"They can get by without me," he said with a lazy smile.

"You're the lead singer, sweetheart. They need you," she said, handing him his jacket as she headed for her door.

"What are you doing?" he asked, standing up and taking the jacket from her.

"I have somewhere to go," she said simply.

"You're not coming to the show?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I told you already. I don't want to come because it'll distract from you guys. It's your moment. Not mine."

Jared pulled her elbow to stop her. Daphne had gotten so used to him doing that in scenes-pulling her closer to him suddenly or yanking her back as she walked by him-that her immediate reaction was to pull her face close to his and look him in the eye.

"What if you came in through the stage door after the show starts?" he asked. "No one is really there during the show, so you'd be good."

She sighed. "I don't think it's a good idea. Besides, I have other things to do. Maybe next time." She gave him a smile and held her door open for him to exit her room.

He shut the door that joined their two rooms and walked out. She grabbed her purse and shut the door behind her.

"So we're good with everything," he asked again, trying to fill the silence as they walked down the hallway.

"Yes Jared. We're fine. No issues," she said.

They stopped at the elevator and waited for it to arrive on their floor. Jared was still feeling the silence.

"Would you come if I begged?" he asked, giving her a sad puppy dog face.

She smiled. "You couldn't make me come, even if you begged me to," she said in a seductive tone. His eyebrow tweaked a little bit in interest. "I don't want to be the center of attention at your concert."

He bit his lip, waiting for her to get on the elevator as it opened. He checked her out as she passed him. She was wearing jeans that made her ass look REALLY good. He was actually looking forward to filming the pole dancing scene because it meant she'd be wearing even less. Just because she was off limits physically, it didn't mean he couldn't think about her.

"Hey, maybe Margot will 'practice' with you," Daphne said with a grin, making air quotes.

Jared laughed a little at the idea. Margot Robbie was playing Harley Quinn, his love interest and the Joker's demented girlfriend of sorts. She was a stunning girl, but her beauty was more knock-your-socks-off obvious while Daphne's was more subtle and less traditionally sexy. Margot was a blonde bombshell while Daphne was the dark exotic flower. He wouldn't kick either one of them out of bed. And in fact, they'd have a very sexy scene with the three of them in a few weeks that he was looking forward to quite a lot. He'd be lying if he said he never thought about the two of them at the same time, but he tried not to. He wanted to respect them as women and actors. But they were just so damn hot it was hard to control the imagination sometimes.

"I think she's dating someone. Plus I'm not THAT method," he replied.

Daphne laughed. "Shame. Because had we not been working together, you actually could have had that experience," she said with a sideways glance at him.

He bit his lip as he enjoyed the mental image. They were flirtatious with each other regularly. He flirted with everyone, even Tomo. But Daphne was the only one he enjoyed having flirt back. It was like a little game to them. The doors slid open with a little 'ding!' and they got off. He waved to the fans that seemed to be permanently camped out in front of their hotel and helped Daphne into the car. She waved to her fans from the window before allowing the driver to speed off. Jared signed a few autographs before hailing a cab himself and heading to the show.

He enjoyed his time alone before performances. He didn't like being amped up and wild. He usually meditated and tried to focus on the task at hand. He didn't like to feel preoccupied when performing. He liked to be able to have a very pure interaction and experience with the audience, which was easier to do when you weren't bogged down by other thoughts and concerns. He took a deep breath and tried to center himself as they drove, but all he could think of was Daphne. She was going to do his head in.


	14. Chapter 14

"Stop waiting for Prince Charming. Get up and go find him. The poor idiot may be stuck in a tree somewhere." -Unknown  
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The room was dark except for a few spot lights that were illuminating the small platform in front of the camera. They were filming in a small pole dancing club in Toronto and it was a cramped location. The studio they were filming all of their other scenes in was in a warehouse with very high ceilings that made it impossible to safely anchor a metal pole in to film the scene. The roof was three stories tall, which was difficult to say the least. It was just easier to film at a pole dancing club than it was to try to locate a 3 story tall metal pole and have it installed and safety checked for insurance purposes in three days. The crew was limited because the space was so small and only essential personnel were there.  
Daphne and her trainer Olivia were talking in a trainer while Jared got his makeup touched up. His eyes kept wandering over to Daphne, causing his makeup artist to move his face multiple times into the light so she could fix his makeup. After the fifth time, she let out an exacerbated sigh and gave him a glare.

"Jared, I know she's hot but unless you want red lipstick all over your face, quit moving your damn head," she said.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. She finished up and sent him away, rolling her eyes. He sat down on the edge of the stage and waited for someone to tell him what to do next.

In the scene they were shooting that day, the Joker was supposed to be watching Ophelia dance as a sort of entertainment while he mulled over Harley Quinn and plotted his plans. But since Ophelia was a figment of his imagination, he was using her as a way to entertain himself while he thought. Ophelia was supposed to do a few moves on the pole with the Joker watching, finishing with a dramatic drop. The Joker was just supposed to watch and enjoy it, but not really act interested in it. When she finished, he was supposed to kiss her roughly.

It was supposed to be an example of how she was a figment of his imagination and how he had complete control over what she did. It was also supposed to show his dominance in their "relationship"-if you could call it that at least. Jared had had a hard time figuring out how he was going to play it. It was one of the more violent scenes he'd have with Daphne. David had asked him to really grab her and be rough with her, and he knew Daphne would be alright with it because she had already given him the green light. It was more than he just didn't know how he was going to handle it himself. He didn't enjoy hurting her or pulling her around.

He watched as she warmed up on the pole. Olivia had flown in for the week to help her practice and work out what choreography David wanted Daphne to do. It was hard not to give Daphne his attention in the outfit she was wearing. It was in Ophelia's usual style of short skirts and crop tops, but he still wasn't used to seeing that much of Daphne's body. He knew there was very little romantic aspect to the scene-they were being watched by at least a dozen other people. But it was always awkward for him to do love scenes or romantic scenes. He had never quite gotten the hang of them and they always made him nervous. This scene was no different.

"Alright, Daphne let's do a few test runs before we start shooting. Can we get the lights fixed, please?" David called into the room. Immediately the lights were dimmed, leaving only the spotlights focused on Jared's place on the sofa and on the pole Daphne was standing in front of. "Jared could you take your place, too? Just for lighting and shadow purposes," he added.

Jared nodded, moving to sit on the blood red sofa. It had been distressed to give it an aged look and it had several stains on it to make it look well-used, as well as multiple cigarette burn marks. He briefly eyed the stains, hoping they were just coffee and not anything else. His attention was quickly drawn back to Daphne, watching as she climbed the metal pole deftly and performed a few moves easily.

"Very good," Olivia said, watching from a short distance away. "David, is there space for a drop mat, in case she slips or falls?"

David shook his head. "Not in the shot. But right now we could use one."

Olivia nodded and looked up at Daphne. "Do you think you need one?"

Daphne shook her head. "Not for anything else. But maybe the last drop, just to be safe. I haven't really been able to land that one properly just yet."

"Alright, well let's try it once without and go from there," David said. "Jared, come over here and stand there. We're going to have her drop and I want to see how this will work."

Jared stood and walked over to stand next to the stage on the 'X' that had been marked in blue tape. It was barely visible in the light, but it was easy enough for him to remember where it was.

"Alright, Daphne. Go for it," David said, standing back and framing the shot with his hands.

Daphne took a deep breath and shifted into position. She was holding the pole between her legs with her arms and legs stretched out straight. Her back was parallel to the floor. As she released her grip on the pole with her thighs, she started to slide down slowly. It was a blind approach, meaning she couldn't see how close the floor was, so she had to guess. She slid down further until she could see Jared out of the corner of her eye.

"A little bit further, Daphne. I want you to be just about arm-level with him so he can just reach over and grab you," David said.

Daphne nodded and slid down a little bit further, close enough that Jared just had to reach over with his arm and wrap his hand around her neck. He cradled her head in his other hand as he brought his face close to hers.

"Perfect," David said. "And here I thought we'd have a problem with this. "Let's set up to shoot!"

Apparently David had never heard of Murphy's Law, which states that anything that can go wrong, will. In the following hour, Daphne fell about three times, whacked her head on the pole about five times, and Jared poked her in the eye at least once. David wanted the shot to be fluid and continuous. He didn't want to have to cut shots together because it ruined the way it looked. He wanted the Joker to have cat-like reflexes and the best way to show those off was with fluid, one-shot takes. But that was before he saw how difficult it seemed for Daphne to perform on the pole. It was only after her fifth drop to the hard wooden stage that he called for a break.

"Alright, let's take a break before you break something, Daphne," David said in frustration.

So far they hadn't been able to get a fluid shot of anything, just bits and pieces. Either she'd get stuck on the pole on the way down, the pole would let off a screeching noise as she slid down it, or she'd fall because her grip was too loose.

"Let's just take a few minutes and you can get some ice," he told her. Several bruises could be seen forming on her legs and abdomen. "Makeup, could you come over here and retouch or airbrush some of these?"

Daphne sighed softly as she sat on the edge of the stage, frustrated with herself. She didn't understand why she couldn't get it to work. She was well-known for throwing herself into anything a director wanted. She tried her hardest to make sure she could do the stunts and activity that her character required in every film she did. But sometimes a professional was required. Even with her weeks of training for this, she didn't think she'd be able to give David what he wanted.

"Don't beat yourself up on my account," Jared said with a cute smile. She gave him a confused look and he nodded at the large bruise on her knee. She smiled.

"I thought I could get it," she said with a sigh.

"You will. I for one am enjoying watching you try," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

She laughed. "I bet you are. But you have to be bored. You've just been sitting there doing nothing."

He shrugged. "It's better than having to memorize lines or do a fight scene."

"Still," she said, glancing over at David. "I can tell he's getting frustrated."

"Don't worry about him," Jared said. "You know how directors are. They have a lot of people to answer to and a lot riding on their shoulders. Don't take it personally."

Daphne nodded. He was right; she knew quite a few directors who got stressed easily. It was an occupational hazard to be stressed at least once during a film shoot. But the reason so many directors wanted to work with her was because of her desire to please them. She wanted to give them the shot they were looking for. It was because of her willingness to do this that she was always at the top of their lists. But in that moment, it was bothering her that she couldn't give him what he was looking for.

"Olivia, what am I doing wrong?" she asked her trainer.

Olivia shook her head. "Nothing. It's a complicated trick. I'm surprised you picked it up as quickly as you did. It's just part of the game. That's why this drop is so uncommon."

"Alright people," David said, calling the set to order. "There's been a change. Since there's no dialogue, we're shooting this without sound. Jared's going to do a voice over in ADR and we will just mask the background noise with music in post-production. Daphne, we're going to shoot several of the poses on the pole and montage it up, so it doesn't need to be one full routine."

Daphne gave an audible sigh of relief. She'd been able to do the trick a few times, but each time it had been accompanied by the sound of her skin sliding against the pole-like at a playground when you slide down. But not audio meant it didn't matter. She stood up and let the makeup artist touch up her makeup and cover up some of the bruises before taking her place. Jared moved back over to his seat, giving her a thumbs up. She took a deep breath and stepped up on the stage.

"Okay Daphne, action!" David called from behind the large monitor.

Roman, the cinematographer, swung the camera around to get one fluid shot as she climbed up the pole. Another camera was focused on Jared as he watched her. The idea was that they were going to cut the shots together with a voice over from Jared doing a monologue and when he reached the end of it, they'd cut in the trick scene. It seemed a bit more logical to Daphne, but she didn't know much about David's vision in terms of how he wanted the final product to look.

The afternoon went on like that for several more hours, with David's mood improving greatly as they got more and more shots. Daphne's legs were sore and bruised, but she was happy that she had finally been able to give him what he had wanted. They were taking a break before trying to shoot the very last move that had been giving them trouble earlier that day. Jared walked over with a cup of tea in his hand.

"You're going to need to take an ice bath later tonight," he said looking at her bruises with a little bit of a smile.

"Yeah, not looking forward to that," Daphne said. "But at least we're getting it done in one day instead of drawing it out over weeks."

He sat next to her and pulled out his phone as it buzzed. "Do you think she's hot?" He held out his phone where a picture of a young woman was on the screen.

Daphne looked up at him in confusion. "Last time I checked this was not high school and we are not gal pals chatting in the bathroom over sticks Bubbilicious gum. What type of question is that?"

He gave her a funny look and laughed. "That is SO not what high school is like. Did you watch 'Grease' recently or something?"

She rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" she asked with a smile.

He held his phone out for her to look at. "I wanted your opinion."

"On?" she asked, looking at his phone screen in confusion.

"Her," he said, gesturing to the screen and the photo on it.

A pretty blonde was on the screen, a sweet smile played across her face. She seemed tallish, but it was hard to tell from the photo. She was definitely thin, thinner than Daphne, and had a bit of a tan. One thing was obvious: her breasts were too large to be real.

"She looks fine," Daphne said, handing the phone back to Jared. "Why are you asking me?"

"Just wanted your opinion, seeing as we're friends," he said simply.

"Opinion for what? Are you dating her or something?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Possibly. But I'm not sure yet. I'm not sure if she's my type."

Daphne shifted to face him. "And my opinion matters because?"

"Because you're a woman and I figured you'd be able to read her or something and tell me if it was a good idea," Jared responded.

She laughed. "I'm not an oracle or something. I don't know the poor girl. Don't ask me if she'd be a good person to date." Daphne narrowed her eyes at him, trying to read his facial expressions. Then it dawned on her. There was no girl. He was playing her. "There is no girl, is there?"

He busted out laughing. "Of course there's not! Do you really think I'd date a girl like that? Her tits are obviously fake and she'd lose at least two pounds by removing half of her makeup. You know me better than that to at least know I like my women to be real."

She scoffed at him. "So what was the point in all of that?" she asked.

"To make you smile," he said softly, nudging her gently. "You're going to get frown lines," he said, rubbing the imaginary lines on her face.

She broke out laughing and turned her head away. "Gee, thanks."

"But seriously, I know today was stressful so I just wanted to make you relax a bit," he said. "You're beating yourself up over not being able to give David what he wants. I can see it in your face. Stop. Sometimes directors just have visions of things that aren't possible."

Daphne smiled and leaned against his shoulder. He rested his chin on top of her hair and smiled softly. "I'd never ask you for dating advice, though," he said after a minute. She looked up at him. "You know why," he replied giving her a pointed look. "You might try to sabotage it for your own good." She smiled at him and shook her head.


	15. Chapter 15

"Never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun." -Katherine Hepburn  
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As the weeks passed in filming, Daphne and Jared grew closer. They were even more media fodder after someone had leaked a photo of the two of them on set looking very close. They were very flirtatious and close with each other, but no one really knew what that meant. They couldn't tell if it was because of their characters and them filming a lot together or if it was because they were truly that close together. They were photographed out and about all the time. Then there were rumors that Daphne and Shannon were dating when photographers got shots of Daphne on the back of Shannon's motorcycle while they were out for a ride in the city without Jared.

But currently, Daphne was prepping for a reunion interview in Hawaii for the cast of 'Lost'. It had been five years since the last episode had aired and Jimmy Kimmel, who had been a big fan of the show, wanted to do a reunion show on the anniversary of the last episode's airing. Daphne was excited to see everyone again, and even though she left the show in the fifth season, she was the most requested member of the cast to be there. And Daphne never liked letting her fans down, so she had agreed to go. Their plane had touched down at LAX and they were waiting to get on a plane to go to Honolulu in an hour. Oddly enough it seemed some of the cast that lived in Los Angeles was taking the same flight.

"Well, if it isn't the Oscar winner, herself," a husky British accent met Daphne's ears. She looked up and saw Naveen Andrews standing in front of her.

"Hey!" she said, jumping out of her seat to give him a hug.

He hugged her tightly back and then held her at arms' length to look her over. It had been several years since they had last seen each other, but Daphne had always gotten along well with Naveen, especially since he had a child already and seemed to have a more fatherly air to him.

"Your hair is green," he said simply.

She laughed, sitting down. "It's for a role."

"I know," he started, sitting next to her. "I saw the publicity shots. Quite risqué for you, aren't they?"

She smiled. "Since when have you cared about how risqué my behavior is?"

He leaned back into the chair next to her, draping his arm across her shoulders and pulling her close to him. "Oh you know, just doing my duty and all of that." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, it's just a little weird to see you wearing very little with a guy's hand around your throat and him looking like Dracula, about to suck two pints out of you."

She laughed loudly as he took his sunglasses off and tucked them into his collar. He settled her with his dark brown eyes and signature grin. "Naveen, have I told you how much I've missed you lately?" she said.

"Nah," he joked. "But it's alright. I know you're busy. By the way, thank you for the gift for Joshua's birthday. He really liked it. But I should be thanking your assistant, not you," he said, sticking his tongue out at her teasingly.

Daphne gave him a mock shocked look. "How could you suggest that? Of course I picked it out!"

He laughed. "Fair enough, whatever you say. How's filming going?" he asked, nodding his head to her hair.

She sighed. "It's going. It's a little different for me, but I'm enjoying it. It's actually nice to have this break, even though I have to go back tomorrow morning for a night shoot," she rolled her eyes and made a face.

He smiled. "I'm glad you're keeping busy. I don't think you'd know what to do with yourself if you had to stay still for more than a few days."

She gave him a light punch on the arm. "I was in Los Angeles for weeks prepping."

"But you were doing press and other things as well, so no, you weren't still," he said. "What about this Jared guy? Are you two dating?" He pulled his phone out of his jeans and looked at it for a moment.

Daphne paused. "Are you stalking me?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"No, Dom told me to ask," Naveen said, glancing up from his cell phone. "Speaking of, there's the little bugger right now."

Daphne looked up and saw Dominic Monaghan coming toward them, his ever-present goofy grin on his face when he saw her. She took off running with a smile on her face and he dropped his duffel bag at his feet just in time to catch her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He let out a loud grunt as she made contact with him, but his smile never left his face.

"Hey," he said softly into her hair, squeezing her tightly. "How are you?" He set her back down on the floor, still holding her tightly.

She smiled, straightening out his shirt. "I'm good. Just flew in from Toronto, though. So I might be a little loopy with the jetlag."

He chuckled. "I can see that," he said, picking up his bag and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Anyone who wasn't really aware of their relationship might think that Dom Monaghan and Daphne Brando were more than just friends. But they weren't. They had a very close friendship, having spent the time on 'Lord of the Rings' working together and the time on 'Lost' working together. Of all the members in the 'Lost' cast, they were the closest with each other. But Daphne sort of had that effect on everyone who met her. It was hard not to become friends with her and even harder not to leave without a small crush on her as well.

Naveen stood to give Dominic a hug when they approached the seats. "How's it going, mate?" Naveen asked, clapping Dom on the shoulder.

"It's good, just got back from filming in Borneo," he added. "You should have come down and done a show with me there," he said to Daphne. "I know you had a few weeks off."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "I was prepping for a role and doing all sorts of press. I didn't have time to breathe, let alone fly to South East Asia and get attacked by whatever insect you were filming."

Dominic smiled. His affinity for insects and nature had always creeped Daphne out, mostly because he had a habit of picking up insects and holding them right in her face once he figured out she didn't like them. It seemed to be his favorite activity whenever they were near nature together.

"Right I forgot. Pole dancing," he made a face at her.

"I know, it's a little weird to think of the same sixteen year old girl I knew doing that type of thing now," Naveen said with a grin.

Dom scoffed. "YOU think it's weird? I've known her since she was eleven!"

Daphne laughed. "Boys, I would suggest you skip 'Suicide Squad' when it comes out next year then."

"And miss the chance to see you get strangled by a sociopath?" Naveen asked in mock horror. "Never!"

Daphne looked around and glanced at her phone. "I guess we're the only ones on this flight?"

"Everyone else already flew in," Naveen said without looking up. "We're the last ones left."

"Does anyone know what exactly this thing is?" Dominic asked, placing his sunglasses back on his face.

"It's an open panel where fans will get to ask you questions. Kimmel is moderating it but he will also ask things about what you've been up to since the show ended, how you felt about it ending, all that crap," Kelly said, coming up behind them with two coffee cups in hand.

Dominic and Naveen stood up when she came around their row of seats, having never met her before. She glanced at them as she passed them and Daphne could see a slight blush rise in her assistant's cheeks upon seeing the two men. Typically Kelly wasn't star struck, but she had been a big fan of 'Lost' when it was on and Daphne knew this would be a fan-girl moment for her. She took pity on the girl and introduced her.

"Kelly, this is Dom Monaghan and Naveen Andrews," she said. "Boys, this is my assistant, Kelly. Do not flirt with her."

Naveen gave Daphne a hurt look. "You always take the fun away from me!" He winked at Kelly as he sat down.

Kelly smiled. "Maybe I want them to flirt with me, Daph," she said, wagging her eyebrows.

"That's the spirit," Dom said as he gave her a smile and a wink.

Kelly handed Daphne one of the coffee cups and Naveen looked at Daphne with confusion. "Since when do you drink coffee?"

"It's tea," Kelly said in response.

"It's mostly because I flew straight here from Toronto after a night shoot and I want to sleep in the five and a half hours or so I'll get," Daphne said.

Kelly's phone rang and she excused herself to answer it. Daphne took a sip of her green tea, enjoying the warmth it gave her in the chilly terminal. One of the downsides of Los Angeles was that everywhere was air-conditioned to try to combat the heat of southern California. The only problem was that it was usually pretty chilly in buildings. Suddenly Dom started coughing and without even thinking about it, he grabbed Daphne's cup and took a sip.

Naveen laughed as she didn't even look up from her folder full of paperwork to see what happened. It was normal between the two of them. He was always curious about their relationship because they seemed extremely close. He was very protective of her but also very flirty with her. But Naveen didn't think they had ever been romantically involved with each other. Daphne had been sixteen when she started on 'Lost', plus she was also dating Elijah Wood, who was one of Dom's best friends. But there was always the air of closeness about them. They even held hands a lot, which kind of made people suspicious. Nonetheless, their relationship hadn't changed when Dom and Evangeline Lilly had started seeing each other and it didn't change when they called it quits either.

He handed her cup back and leaned over her shoulder, looking at the paperwork she had in her hands. "Contracts?" he asked.

She nodded, taking a sip from her tea. "Yeah, for the second season of 'Burnout'. They're already rolling them out because we start filming in mid-August."

"I'm loving you in this show, by the way," Naveen said. "Totally different from everything you've done. Do you know what direction it's going in?"

She smiled at him. "Honey, J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof are writers on it. What does that say?"

Naveen and Dom laughed. "I see. So it'll be a while before you figure out what's going on?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Vince Gilligan and Diablo Cody are also involved so hopefully they'll light a fire under their asses and keep things rolling."

"I heard Terry's going to join the cast this series?" Dom asked, referring to Terry O'Quinn who was their cast mate on 'Lost'.

"I don't know," Daphne replied. "It's not my business who they hire."

"Damn," Dom said. "I guess I shouldn't sleep with you to get the job then," he joked, grinning.

She nudged him with a laugh. "You know I don't operate that way, anyways," she replied.

"But apparently you're dating Jared Leto!" Naveen said in a joking tone.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "It's becoming amusing who they think I'm dating. It's crazy."

"I remember the old guy in the Berlin airport that they snapped you with who was literally just walking behind you and that you'd never met in your life," Dom said, snorting.

Daphne laughed. "I called him to apologize for all the hassle he'd gotten from people and the poor bugger didn't even have his teeth in so I didn't understand half of what he said."

They all broke out laughing as Kelly returned from her phone call. "I guess you're all boarding last?" she asked.

Everyone nodded. When flying on a public airplane it was always nice to board last especially if you were in first class because then no one would be looking at you as they all walked by.

"I call next to Daphne!" Dom said like a child squealing for the best toy.

She smiled. "That's sweet of you Dom, but I really do need to sleep on the flight. Otherwise Kimmel will have eighty shots of my open mouth yawning and no sound bites from me."

"Fine," he said with a mock disappointed face. "I'll sit next to Naveen."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and got up, taking her bag from Kelly. They all walked over to the podium to hand over their tickets for scanning and within a few minutes were all boarding the plane to Honolulu.


	16. Chapter 16

"Get busy living or get busy dying." -Andy Dufresne, "The Shawshank Redemption"  
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"Oh my God, it's Daphne Brando!" came the squeal as Daphne walked out of the restroom in the airport terminal. If she wasn't awake before that point, she certainly was now.  
Daphne blinked rapidly behind her sunglasses as another squeal met her ears when the small group of young women recognized Naveen and Dom as they waited for her to come out of the restroom.

"Can we have your autograph?" one girl asked.

She smiled at the girl and signed the photo being held out to her.

"Can I get a photo?" several girls asked.

Daphne smiled again and called Dom and Naveen over. "Let's do one big group photo and then you all can figure out how to send that to each other. We've got to run pretty soon, so it's got to be fast."

The group crowded in behind the three actors, some holding their phones out to try to get a more close up picture. Daphne handed Kelly a cell phone and stood back with Dom and Naveen on either side of her. Several of the girls pressed themselves against Dom and Naveen, trying to squeeze into the photo closer.

While they waited for everyone to get into the picture, Daphne spoke. "Are any of you coming to the panel tonight?"

A few of the girls nodded, but most of them gave sad faces. "No, we can't," one replied. "Tickets were sold out in five minutes!"

Daphne gave them a sad face. "I'm sorry! Maybe we will do another of these again soon," she said. Kelly gave her a signal to wrap it up and Daphne nodded. "Well, we have to go, but it was so nice to meet all of you!"

With that, the small group walked away, leaving the star struck girls in their wake.

"You're becoming an expert at handling those things," Dom said.

She laughed as they walked into the baggage claim area where they were met by several photographers. She gave the photographers a few quick poses.

"Hey, guys," she said.

"Daphne, how do you feel about Jared seeing Valery Kaufman?" one asked.

Daphne paused, taken aback by the question. She had no idea who Valery Kaufman was, but clearly she should have. "Why would I care?" she asked.

"Because it looks like Jared is dating her!" one called out.

Daphne plastered on a smile. "Well, it's not my business who he dates because he and I aren't seeing each other," she said. After another quick photo, she gave them a wave and climbed into the van next to Dom. She turned to Kelly. "Who the fuck is Valery Kaufman?" she asked in a bit of a growl.

Dom gave her an amused smile when he saw her face. "I thought you didn't care?"

Daphne glared at him and took the phone from Kelly as soon as she had the information loaded on her phone. There were several photos of Jared, green hair and all, out and about in New York City-he had mentioned something about going there for a bit of a break since the next few scenes that needed to be shot were purely for Ophelia's back story-with a pretty (very) young brunette. Daphne felt her eyes widen slightly, but kept her face a stone while she kept looking. She was well-aware of Jared's proclivity for younger girls but she had been getting some pretty strong vibes from him. Not that she really cared. He could see whomever he wanted and it didn't bother her one bit.

Except that it did bother her. Just a tiny bit. She had started to feel a little bit of an attraction to him growing as they spent more and more time together. Oh, she knew he was a flirt. He flirted shamelessly with her AND other girls they encountered. But she was actually starting to ENJOY him flirting with her. She was starting to ENJOY having his hands on her whenever they were around each other. And Daphne knew that he didn't insist upon holding her hand or wrist whenever they were out and away from set just because it helped them both stay focused on the relationship their characters had. She knew it was because he enjoyed having her with him and having that small amount of control over her.

Daphne shook her head at his antics and handed Kelly back her phone.

"Should we put out a statement or something? They've been asking about this like crazy," she asked.

Daphne shook her head. "No. Why would we?"

"Because now they're saying he's cheating on you," she replied.

Daphne rolled her eyes and pulled her phone out of her pocket, dialing Jared's number as everyone stared at her. She gave them a pointed look and they looked away, trying to distract themselves.

"Hello?" Jared's voice came across the line. Daphne rolled her eyes when she heard a female giggle in the background. "Daphne?" There was a bit of shushing on his end and she could hear him shuffling around as he spoke. "What's going on?"

"Leto, either come out and say this chick is your girlfriend or stop parading her around in front of photographers. I'm tired of being asked what I think about her and how it feels to be cheated on," Daphne said in an authoritative tone.

Dom and Naveen laughed as they watched the beautiful vistas of Hawaii drift past.

"Hello to you too Daphne," he said in a slightly sexy purr.

"Jared, I mean it. I'm tired of it," she repeated.

"I didn't think you cared who I fuck?" he said in a teasing tone.

"I DON'T!" she replied in frustration. "But I also don't like people asking me how it feels to be cheated on. Because of course there's a right answer to that question!" she added sarcastically.

"Daphne, Daphne, Daphne, relax," he said quietly.

"Are you HIGH?" she asked, looking at her phone as if it was the reason for Jared's oddly calm behavior.

"You really should get laid more often, Daph. It's a phenomenal feeling," he said.

Daphne had a very brief image float through her head of Jared pressing her up against a wall as he ran rough kisses across her neck, but it was interrupted by David calling 'cut!' It had become harder for her to keep her thoughts of Jared relatively professional as they started filming more and more sexual scenes.

"Anyways, say hi to Shannon while you're in Hawaii. Have fun," Jared said before hanging up.

Kelly was looking at Daphne with a mixture of fear and amusement, as if she was unsure of what to say and afraid to say the wrong thing.

"He's handling it," Daphne said with a sigh. 'He damn well better,' she thought to herself. "Do I have anything for tonight?" Daphne asked, turning to Kelly.

Kelly checked her phone and shook her head. "The only thing I have you down for today is the panel and then you're free. Your flight is tomorrow morning. Oh, and Josh called. He said you're welcome to stay with he and Yessica at their place instead of a hotel. Do you want me to cancel the room?"

Daphne nodded. "Yeah. It'll be nice to stay somewhere that's NOT a hotel room for a change."

They drove on a highway that had marvelous vistas of the ocean and Daphne felt a large amount of her stress slip from her shoulders. That had always been one of the defining things about working on 'Lost' that she had loved. Hawaii seemed like another world to Daphne. It reminded her of the time when she'd go with her grandfather to his island in Tahiti and they'd spend weeks there, away from Hollywood.

After a short drive, they were at a large television studio lot. They pulled into the back lot area and were dropped off. A production assistant met them at the door and led them into the studio, through a series of hallways, and left them in a series of dressing rooms.

"Ms. Brando, you're down there at the end. You'll be sharing with Ms. Lilly, Ms. Grace, and Ms. De Ravin. I'm sorry we didn't have enough rooms for you all to have your own," the assistant said, clearly a little intimidated by the issue.

Daphne gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright. I don't take up much space," she said.

The assistant turned toward the two men who were with her. "Mr. Andrews and Mr. Monaghan you two are in this room," she said, opening the door directly behind her.

Dom gave Daphne's hand a squeeze before she walked off to get changed in her own room. There was an air of excitement in the entire building. It had been a bit of time since she had seen some of her co-stars and Daphne always liked to spend as much time with them as she could. It was also exciting because people were excited to see her. Kimmel's people had tried to keep the reunion a secret but word got out pretty quickly. So then, they tried to keep Daphne's appearance a secret because they wanted to surprise people. But it had leaked a few days ago that she was going to appear. She didn't really care. Most of the time when she surprised people it resulted in about ten minutes of screaming in excitement and three minutes of an interview.

"Oh my God, Daphne!" Evie's voice met her ears before she had even gotten to the door frame. Immediately, Daphne was crushed by Evangeline Lilly. Although, 'crushed' wasn't really a good word to describe being tightly hugged by a thin, 110-pound woman who couldn't do much damage to anyone even if she wanted to.

"Hey," Daphne replied, giving her a warm squeeze back. Of all the members of the cast, she had worked with Evie the most, having done five seasons with her on 'Lost', 'The Hurt Locker' and 'The Hobbit' trilogy. But since she lived in Hawaii, they hardly spent time together. "How are you?"

Evie nodded. "I'm alright. I didn't know if you'd be able to come since you were filming."

"I have to leave tomorrow morning. EARLY. Night shoots tomorrow night," Daphne responded.

Everyone winced. It was well-known among actors how difficult night shoots were. Most of the time actors worked normal daylight hours and when you had to transition to night shoots, for whatever reason, it messes with the body and leaves you groggy and grumpy and exhausted.

"How is that going?" Maggie Grace asked. She was taller than Daphne by several inches, even in bare feet.

"It's going well," Daphne replied, looking up at her. "It's hard to get to know the rest of the cast though because we have only filmed one scene together so far."

Daphne left out the part where Jared had purposefully kept her away from the other cast members by keeping a tight grip on her hand at all times. At the time, she didn't know if it was protectiveness or his desire to remain distant from the other cast members due to his 'method' acting style. It was well known that Daphne did her best to get to know her co-stars as well as the crew on each project she worked on. In fact, it was one of the hallmarks of working with her. Anytime anyone was asked about working with her, the first thing out of their mouth was usually about how wonderful and kind she was.

"It's been weird, yeah," she said in reply. "We've had a really strange shooting schedule and it's mostly been just Jared and I so far."

"He's hot," Maggie said, sitting down on the sofa and crossing her long legs.

Daphne laughed. "I guess," she replied. "Though, you're his type, Maggie. So maybe you've got a chance."

Maggie smiled and stuck her tongue out at Daphne. As two of the younger members of the cast they had always gotten along fairly well, but had sort of lost touch when Maggie left the show in the second season.

"But I swear to God if one more person asks me if I'm dating him, heads will roll," Daphne added. "I am so sick of all these rumors."

"Daphne, we've got about thirty minutes before you go on, so I need to get you dressed and in hair and makeup," Kelly said.

Daphne nodded and went behind a screen to change her outfit. Kelly handed her a short red dress and a pair of pumps and Daphne sighed. "Really? Why the fuck can't I just wear jeans?"

"Because Tom Ford sent this over yesterday and asked if you'd wear it," Kelly replied.

Kelly was used to Daphne's grumblings about her outfits. If left to her own devices, Daphne would literally wear whatever she managed to find in her closet that was clean. She had absolutely no concept of fashion or trends. And it was probably one of the more endearing qualities about her, in Kelly's eyes. Designers fell over themselves to have her wear their clothing, though, so very rarely did Daphne ever go out in her 'own' clothes and she spent so much time doing press, filming, and attending official events that she hardly ever had to worry about dressing herself.

The other actresses were already ready to go, but because Daphne had come in late, she was rushed through hair and makeup by the waiting crew. Within minutes, she was stage-ready. Daphne was used to being rushed around. She once got ready for the Oscars in less than twenty minutes because of a flight delay. She was still on time.

Daphne glanced at herself in the mirror and sighed. She always had a hard time finding herself in her own reflection, especially when she was all made up and in designer clothes. It was hard enough to figure out who you were on your own, and even harder to figure it out when you were surrounded by people who were so concerned with making you into the person THEY wanted you to be.

"Alright ladies, time to go," an assistant said, leading the group out.

Daphne paused behind Evie. "So you and Dom, you're alright with seeing him and everything?" she asked cautiously. Dom rarely spoke about his relationship with Evie or how things ended. Daphne was good friends with both of them and she always felt kind of odd around both of them at the same time after their break up.

Evie nodded. "We're fine, no problems," she laughed.

Daphne gave an internal sigh of relief as they walked up the hallway. Soon enough, they were joined by the rest of the cast and it was very loud in the small space.

"Daph! I didn't think you'd be able to make it!" Josh Holloway said, embracing her in one of his signature bear hugs. "Yessica called and told me you were staying over tonight?"

Daphne nodded. "I'm so sick of hotels," she laughed.

"It must be so hard to have to work ALL THE TIME and be SUCCESSFUL ACTRESS," Jorge Garcia said in a joking manner before enveloping Daphne's small frame in his larger one.

She smiled at him. "I know. It's so ROUGH," she laughed.

They crowded in at the side of the stage and listened as Jimmy Kimmel gave an introduction. There was an electricity in the air as the audience applauded at different things and got very excited as he got closer and closer to bringing the cast on stage.

"Daphne, we're doing you last, so wait until he calls you," an assistant told her. Daphne nodded.

"Without further ado, I'd like to welcome the cast from 'Lost', your favorite survivors: Naveen Andrews, Daniel Dae Kim, Emilie De Ravin, Matthew Fox, Jorge Garcia, Maggie Grace, Josh Holloway, Malcom David Kelley, Yunjin Kim, Evangeline Lilly, Dominic Monaghan, Terry O'Quinn, Harold Perrineau, and Ian Somerhalder!"

There was deafening screaming as everyone went out. Dom gave Daphne's hand a little squeeze before going out on stage and she was left back stage alone, watching. She tried to stay as hidden as possible. People knew she was there, but they were still going for a surprise more than anything.

"I think we have an extra chair," Jimmy said. He looked around and saw Daphne standing on the side of the stage. She gave him a little smile and a wave. "Never mind, I found the occupant right here. Academy Award winner Daphne Brando ladies and gentlemen!"

Daphne took a deep breath before walking on stage, waving and smiling for everyone. The noise was so loud, she almost felt her ear drums pop. Dom stood up and gave her a kiss on the cheek before pulling her chair out for her and sliding into the one next to her.

"Hi," she said quietly, once the noise had died down, which only served to get it started again.

Everyone was laughing so hard because it had been at least five solid minutes of cheering and clapping and screaming. Daphne glanced around at everyone in front of her and tried to focus as she was blinded by flashes from photos.

"It's ridiculous," Jimmy said, sitting down in his chair. "They're crazy about you," he laughed, looking at her.

"I know, this was supposed to be a secret, but look what happened!" she laughed.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time and let's get down to business," Jimmy said, shifting in his chair. "Let's start with you guys and tell us all what you've been up to."

He went down the line, stopping at each actor. It was always hard to do these panels with larger groups because there were so many questions that were asked to multiple people and so many different answers. It often took ten minutes to answer just one question fully. When the question came to Daphne she sighed.

"Well, as you all have probably seen I've been busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest," she quipped.

The entire room broke into laughter and Dom nearly fell out of his seat. Daphne had a history of playing very serious roles but she was also incredibly funny. People were always so surprised when she gave interviews because she was nothing like the characters she played. The question continued down the line of people, ending with Ian, who revealed he recently got married and everyone was cheering for him.

"Let's open it up to fan questions," Jimmy said. "If you all could just line up down here at the microphone, we will get started. Please direct your questions to the individual or individuals you would like to answer."

"My question is for Daphne," the first person said. "Why did you leave the show? You were my favorite character and they killed you off."

Daphne nodded. Her character Anna Carmichael had been her character for five seasons, but she had requested out of her contract after the fourth season because of her desire to work on other projects. She had been a hard character to play because she was chronically depressed and suicidal. Jack had to keep an extra eye on her and many people wrote her off as a liability in many situations.

"Well, it was mostly because I was splitting my time between this show and filming 'Harry Potter'. I wanted to have more time to explore other characters and work on different things," she replied. "When you work on a television show, there's many good things and good aspects to doing it. Usually you've got job security if the show is done well and you have the luxury of working with many of the same people for an extended period of time. But the down side is that you are very limited in terms of the other projects you can take on."

"That's true. There seemed to be a bigger demand for you once you won the Oscar for 'Risk'," Jimmy added in. "Next question."

"Again, for Daphne," the young man asked. "I heard you were originally supposed to be killed off in the third season but they kept you on once you won the Oscar. Is that true?"

Daphne laughed. "Yeah, it is. J.J. clearly doesn't like working with children because he got rid of Malcolm pretty fast, didn't he?"

Daphne glanced down the line at Malcolm David Kelley, who was the youngest member of the original cast. They had been fairly close during filming, but had drifted apart when he had left the show. Everyone laughed.

"But seriously, that's a question for J.J. or Carlton, not me. I'm certainly glad they didn't kill me off," she continued.

"Now, that has to be the saddest moment in the entire series, when Sawyer kills Anna," Jimmy added. "Josh, what was that like, for you? Just because Jack made a point of befriending Anna and they had an interesting relationship."

Josh glanced at Daphne and smiled. "Well, it was hard for me to sort of put myself in that head space just because their relationship had been such a close one. And then her death was so brutal that it was so unlike Sawyer to do anything like that."

Daphne bit her lip, remembering the day they had shot that scene. Sawyer was forced to kill Anna in a dramatic turn of events to protect everyone else. He reluctantly shoots her in the head at point blank range and she slides down the side of the building, leaving a trail of blood as she goes. It was one of the more shocking moments in the series for most people as well.

"Because up to that point he had only ever killed in self-defense," she added. "Aside from the man in Australia and Locke's father, everyone else was self-defense. Anna was definitely not on his list of people to kill. Plus he would never hurt a woman."

Josh nodded. "Exactly. So when I saw that script I thought, 'Damn, how the hell am I going to pull that one off?', mostly because I didn't want to be the one to off her."

Daphne smiled. "It's alright, I asked for it," she laughed.

As the questions continued, Daphne felt herself ease in to mood of the group. It went on for two more hours and there were questions about her role in 'Suicide Squad', which she was not allowed to answer. And of course a few questions about her possible relationship with Jared, but again, she brushed them off.

"Daphne, my favorite scene of yours was the one in season one where Anna is with Charlie and she catches him getting ready to snort the drugs," an older woman said. "Was it true that that was your first onscreen kiss?"

Everyone laughed and glanced at Dom and Daphne. "It was, and it wasn't really a big deal for me."

"I was nervous about it, though," Dom said. "It was supposed to be a comedy moment, sort of like the rock star kissing the groupie or whatever. It was just funnier because it was her first kiss."

"Is Dom a good kisser?" Jimmy asked Daphne.

"For a first on screen kiss, I was glad it was him and not a complete stranger," Daphne replied, sidestepping the question like a pro.

There was a general rule in Hollywood: never dish on your co-stars' ability to kiss OR your relationships with another person, famous or otherwise. It ALWAYS comes back to bite you in the ass and makes you look desperate. No one wants to work with someone who tells secrets and can't be discreet. Dom smiled at Daphne and rested his hand on her knee under the table. She rested hers on top of his and smiled, listening to the questions continue.


	17. Chapter 17

"Take my hand, take my whole life, too. But I can't help falling in love with you." -Elvis Presley  
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The first thing Jared noticed about Daphne Brando was the way she commanded the attention in any room she walked into. It wasn't something that was forced or faked. It was an automatic skill she seemed to have been born with. Maybe she'd inherited it from her grandfather. It was a commanding presence that many people found intimidating. She as sweet and kind, of course, but there was always this air of confidence about her that attracted him to her. They were filming a scene between the Joker and Harley Quinn that Ophelia 'sits in' on. It was the first time he'd really spent any time with anyone else from the cast. Granted, it was Margot Robbie, who was absolutely stunning.

That same calm, cool confidence that Daphne had, Margot lacked. And he picked up on it immediately. Daphne was upstaging Margot like nobody's business. It was so easy for her. Even when she wasn't doing a scene, she still drew your eye. They were filming on the same warehouse-type set from their first scene together and it was an altercation between the Joker and Harley Quinn. Ophelia was present of course, but she was invisible to Harley. She and the Joker had quite a bit of dialogue that Harley wasn't supposed to hear.

"Alright, let's see what we've got so far," David said, letting them run through the scene.

Harley was standing in a spotlighted area listening to the Joker give a really long monologue while Ophelia was watching from the shadows.

"My dear sweet Harley, don't you know by now that you can't put a crown on a clown and expect a king?" Ophelia said, emerging from the shadows and slinking toward Harley slowly.

Harley ignored the comment and kept listening to the Joker speak. The Joker watched Ophelia walk slowly towards Harley like a cat stalking its prey. She stopped inches from Harley's body, running her eyes over it slowly. Watching Daphne in this scene was making Jared's toes curl in his boots as he listened to her sexy purr and watched her graze her fingertips across Margot's body.

"Can we kill her?" Ophelia asked all doe eyed and innocent.

"No!" the Joker snapped, causing Harley to jump slightly.

Jared got up and walked over to Daphne, taking her hand and yanking her a few steps away from Margot. "Behave," he said softly, growling it into her ear. "Don't make me put you on a leash."

Ophelia gave him a sexy little moan and shot this seductive gaze at him that caused Jared's mind to go wild. "What if I want you to?" she purred.

The Joker growled and pushed Ophelia out of the way roughly before going back to Harley.

"Did you feel something?" Harley asked him in confusion as he passed in front of her.

Ophelia was back, standing behind Harley and looking at him with that seductive gaze again. She brought her mouth close to Harley's neck and smiled at him.

"That's ENOUGH!" the Joker shouted, causing Harley to jump and Ophelia to laugh maniacally.

"And CUT! Well done!" David called. "I don't think we need to shoot that again. You two are awesome!" he said to Jared and Daphne. "That's exactly what I meant when I said a little bit of BDSM in it. Good job."

Jared smiled and gave Daphne a wink. Daphne was so used to being next to Jared only that she didn't really notice that Margot was in the same room.

"You two are really great together," Margot said.

Daphne smiled. "Yeah, I guess. He's alright," she laughed.

"The rest of the cast all really want to see what you guys are doing, since we never actually film with you two," Margot laughed.

"It's been kind of boring, to be honest," Daphne said. "As much as I enjoy working with Jared, I'd like to have a girl to talk to."

Margot nodded in agreement. "I totally understand. Doesn't that whole thing bother you?"

"What whole thing?" Daphne asked in confusion.

"Well, he kind of throws you around a lot," Margot said. "Or is that planned out?"

Daphne shook her head. "Not really. He knows what he can and can't do with me."

Margot shook her head. "That's crazy. You two must be really close if you can trust him enough to let him do whatever he wants like that."

Daphne glanced over at Jared who was sipping tea and flirting with one of the young female production assistants. "It's more that I know he will deliver and he will only do what's necessary."

"You two do make a great pair, though. Onscreen and off," Margot replied. "He seems much happier with you than with other people. Of course what do I know, I don't really know him."

Jared glanced over at them and smiled, coming over and walking up behind Daphne. "I think we're done for the day. At least you and I are," he said, looking at her. "David said something about re-shooting a scene with you, Margot."

Margot nodded and smiled. "Right, see you round," she said before walking over to speak with David.

"So we're off the rest of the day," Jared said, taking her hand and leading her out of the studio.

Daphne pulled her hand away from his. "Shouldn't you be hanging out with Valery?" she asked.

Jared paused. "You're jealous," he said with a smile.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Hardly. I just think your string bean might want a bit of attention, that's all."

Jared stifled a laugh. "Valery was more of a…temporary thing," he said.

"Really? Because I could hear you two last night going at it like animals. And every night for the last week," she replied. "She has a very annoying scream."

Jared smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Hey, I like to deliver."

"I know. You delivered at least three times last night," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Anyways, she's off doing something else now. She left this morning. I'm all yours," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

He had a habit of acting very affectionate with her as well. It was giving her mixed signals and confusing the hell out of her. She smiled weakly at him as they continued their walk down the hallway to the door.

"Jared, what are we doing here?" she asked, stopping him in the hallway in front of the door.

He gave her a confused look. "Daph, as much as I'd like to have a philosophical discussion with you, I don't think I'd enjoy doing it here or now."

She shook her head. "Jared, you're flirting with me."

He stopped and turned to face her. "I flirt with everyone, Daphne. It's kinda my thing. I'm a bit of a man-whore."

She smiled slightly at his words. "You know what I mean, Jared." She fixed him with her gaze and he sighed heavily before facing her completely.

"You've made it perfectly clear that you don't want any type of relationship with me besides friendship," he said. He took a step closer to her and looked at her in the silence. "You're unlike any other woman I've ever met. And you scare the shit out of me."

Daphne chuckled softly and bit her lip. "Thank you?" she said apprehensively.

"It's a compliment, really," he said with a smile. He took her hands in his. "Daphne, I don't have relationships with people. I fuck them for a bit and we go our separate ways." She blinked rapidly at his frankness and felt a blush rising in her cheeks. He laughed at her reaction. "I'm too busy to put the effort into a relationship. And so are you for that matter," he added with a smirk and a slight nudge on her shoulder.

"So what? We're just going to keep flirting with each other and act like nothing's there?" she asked, tilting her head.

He looked her over in silence. There was definitely something there. But he could tell she wasn't the type of girl who you slept with and then dumped three weeks later when you got bored. Though he doubted that it had never happened to her before. "I like flirting with you. It's innocent and fun," he said.

"And what if it's not always innocent?" she asked him, her face hard to read.

Jared looked at her strangely and then he understood what she was saying. He watched as she sank down onto the metal staircase that was next to the door and looked up at him, her dark hair falling down her back. He walked over to her and stood in front of her. Her looking up at him at that angle made his cock twitch a tiny bit. She folded her hands on her knees as she looked up at him. He put his hand on her hair as she leaned her face against his stomach.

"Daphne," he started. She turned her eyes to face him, resting her chin against his stomach as she looked up at him. There was an innocence in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. He prayed she wouldn't feel the slight hard on that had could sense was growing. "We agreed to keep things simple between us. No complications. Nothing more than friendship while we were working together."

She nodded and sat back away from him. "What about after we're done working together?"

He sighed and sank down next to her on the stairs, holding onto the railing next to his head. "We still have at least a month of filming left. It would be foolish to promise anything that far in the future. Plus there's publicity to do and all of that shit." He felt her nod next to him as he avoided her gaze. Jared let out another long sigh and ran his hands over his face, smearing makeup on them and grimacing at the realization. "Why can't we just keep things as they are, Daph?"

"You don't feel anything there," she said. "Between us, I mean."

His head shot up so quickly he forgot about the railing behind it and winced as a loud metallic 'bang' resounded in the empty hallway. "Fucker," he mumbled to himself, rubbing the spot on his head as Daphne looked at him in amusement. He took a deep breath to steady himself before speaking again. "Daphne, it's there. Trust me, it's there."

She felt a small surge of pride swell up in her, but she bit her lip to try to hide the grin growing on her face. "So…"

Jared turned to face her as best he could in the cramped space. "I don't want to hurt you. You're my friend. And in this business I have very few of those. I don't…want to mess things up…between us."

She gave him a surprised look. "Wow. You're friend zoning me. That's a first. Usually it's the other way around."

He shook his head rapidly. "No, not at all. I just…" he sighed. "I'd just rather us be friends right now."

He stared at her next to him, both amazed by her and afraid of her at the same time. She looked back at him with a gaze that nearly brought him to his knees. She seemed to have that power over him recently. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, brushing her cheek with his fingertips softly. She closed her eyes at the contact and he sighed. In the beam of light that was filtering through the clouded warehouse windows, she looked beautiful-even wearing the ridiculous costume for the film. Suddenly there was movement on the stairs above them and they both got up to move out of the way as two large men moved a large piece of furniture down the stairs.

"We should probably get going," he said, walking toward the door.

She took his hand gently and smiled when she felt him lace his fingers through hers and pull her closer to his body. He planted a kiss on her forehead as they walked to their trailers to get changed and leave the set.


	18. Chapter 18

"Listen. I will lose myself if it means I can find you." -Alaska Gold  
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"You're not going to watch the interview?" Jared's voice came through Daphne's doorway.

"No," she replied with a laugh. "Why the hell would I do that? I gave it. I was there. I remember what I said." The interview with Oprah Winfrey was airing that afternoon and Daphne was trying to distract herself from it. Kelly was too busy trying to figure out automatic responses to press questions in her own room.

Jared appeared in the doorway, leaning against it. Daphne didn't glance up from the paperwork she was looking over. She was one of the few people Jared thought worked harder than he did. With her charity and different filming schedules to keep track of, Jared didn't know how she did it all. But then again, he did quite a lot himself and it didn't really seem to faze him one bit.

"Am I in it?" he asked, laughing.

She looked up at him and glared. "Really? That's what you care about?"

He smiled and sank onto her bed next to her, laying across it on his back and looking up at the ceiling. In the days since their conversation on the steps in the warehouse they had drifted into a state of security with each other. It was strange for both of them. They were very close and spent all of their time together, but nothing physical happened. Not even a kiss. And the funny thing was, Jared didn't seem to have eyes for anyone else. It actually bothered him slightly.

"Let's go do something," he whined as he turned his face toward her.

"You can spend time with your other friends, Jared. There's no law against it," she said, without even looking up. She took a pen and crossed out a large amount of text from a paragraph in front of her.

He sat up and took her pen from her. "No, you haven't left this hotel room to do anything besides filming in days. Let's go to the park and ride bikes around or something. I'm tired of being boxed in."

"Jared, give that back!" she said, reaching for it.

He grinned at her and shoved it down his sweatpants into his underwear. Slightly uncomfortable for him, but he loved seeing her squirm.

She looked at him in surprise, and then laughed. "You really think I won't go down there?"

He shrugged, a grin on his face. "Try me."

She sighed and shifted to face him. She brought her hand up to the waistband of his sweatpants grazing her fingers across the sliver of flesh that had appeared there when his shirt rode up. She resisted the urge to smile as she saw his abdomen contract slightly at her touch. Jared bit his lip and kept his eyes trained on her as she slowly shifted his shirt up a little bit and trailed her fingers down to the waistband. Jared was obviously aroused and he was waiting to see how Daphne would respond to him. Her hands hovered over his pelvis for a moment and she leaned in closer to his face. Their eyes never left each other's. Just as she was about to bring her hand down, she stopped.

"You know what? I just remembered," Daphne started. "I've got another pen." Her whispered words drifted down to Jared's ears in a harmony that only he heard.

With that she pushed away from him with a devilish grin and reached over him into the drawer next to the bed. He fought the urge to reach up and grab her hips as she leaned over him. He sighed deeply to himself and watched her go back to her work. She tossed the comforter over top of him. He looked at her in confusion.

"To cover that…thing…up," she replied, gesturing to his erection.

He felt a blush rising to his cheeks and he rearranged the blanket on top of him. Suddenly Daphne jumped out of the bed and tossed her papers onto the desk in the room. "Let's go for a bike ride. Or a walk."

He looked at her incredulously. "Are you fucking serious? NOW?!" he motioned at his crotch and gave her a pointed look.

Daphne smiled a wicked smile and crawled slowly up the bed. "Why not now? You wanted to a few minutes ago."

"That was BEFORE you did THIS to me!" he said, sitting up slightly and wincing when the pen stuck him in the balls. "Son of a bitch that hurt," he said, yanking the pen out and tossing it on the bed next to him.

"Jared, I didn't do anything to you. I barely touched you. I think you need to find a way to get that energy out," she said, nodding towards his crotch. She smiled sarcastically and clapped her hands. "I know: let's go for a BIKE RIDE!"

He sighed and stood up, flinging the blankets off of him as he did so. Daphne was quite impressed at the tent he pitched, but she averted her eyes, biting her lips together to keep from laughing like a school girl.

"I'll give you a few minutes to…figure this out," she said, gesturing to his penis as she shoved him into his own room. "I'll even put my music on loud so I can't hear whatever you're doing."

He gave her a sarcastic smile. "How kind of you."

She shut the door behind him with a snap and Jared sighed heavily and leaned against it. He didn't know why he let her do this to him. He was driving himself crazy. He needed to get laid. FAST. But not by Daphne. That would ruin everything between them. Someone easy and quick. He glanced up as he heard the sound of Ella Fitzgerald singing the jazz classic 'Someone to Watch Over Me' come from Daphne's room. She played it often, at least three or four times a week. He thought it was odd because she never really seemed like the type to listen to jazz music. Jared hurriedly disposed of his…situation and changed into more appropriate clothes. He knocked on Daphne's door and found that she had changed into a light, flowy dress that showed off her figure perfectly.

"Ready to go?" he asked. She nodded and followed him out the door and into the hallway.

"I was thinking maybe we could go for a walk through the park," she said.

He rolled his eyes. "Five minutes ago it was a bike ride! Make up your damn mind woman!

"I like walking better," she responded. "Then you can't leave me behind," she joked.

Jared sighed and looked over at her. "You don't walk through parks at night, Daph. That's how people get killed and end up on the morning news."

She shrugged. "Lucky for me, I've got you to protect me," she said.

"Oh goody," he replied sarcastically.

They managed to sneak out of the hotel using a side entrance and walked to the park. It was evening and the sun was setting on the horizon as they walked. The streets were still busy and they had to wait for several minutes at a crosswalk before they could cross the street and head into the park. The park was quiet and emptying out as people left it to head home. There was a concrete path lined with trees and street lights and on either side large open field areas. It reminded Jared of Central Park in many ways.

He kept Daphne within arms' reach and tried to keep them on the well-lit path, but she got distracted and wanted to wander into one of the fields. He glanced around to make sure they weren't being followed or watched or anything.

"You know," he said as he hurried after her. "You get distracted really easily. I'm not sure that's a good quality to have all the time."

She looked back at him over her shoulder with her signature smile. Daphne was one of those actresses that had a signature smile-like Julia Roberts or Anne Hathaway. He followed after her as closely as he could, watching the ground to make sure he didn't trip over any tree roots or anything. As they entered the large clearing, he could see that the air was filled with fireflies that were flickering through the night. Daphne stopped and stared at them, a grin on her face. He watched her and the childlike wonder she never seemed to lose.

"What?" he asked, catching up to her.

"When I was a kid and we would travel to Tahiti, my grandfather used to put fireflies in glass jars for me so I could watch them at night," she said softly. "I would watch them for hours and hours, wondering how they could do it."

Jared smiled. She shared many memories from her childhood with him, mostly ones that had to do with her grandfather. It baffled him to think that the great Marlon Brando would have ever done some of the things she said he did, but it seemed like she knew a very different version of him.

"Why do you listen to that Ella Fitzgerald song so much?" he asked.

"It's Gershwin, actually," she corrected him softly. Her eyes never left the air and she kept them trained on the fireflies that flitted by. "They wrote it originally, she just sang it."

He nodded, tucking his hands into his pockets. "But why do you listen to it so often? I never thought you were into jazz music."

She smiled and glanced at him. "It was my grandfather's favorite song. He played it on his record player almost every day. He used to dance around the patio in the back yard with me standing on top of his feet."

He laughed lightly at the image of Hollywood legend Marlon Brando waltzing around his back yard with a child version of Daphne standing on the tops of his feet, her dark curls cascading down her back as he swung her around.

"Every time you talk about your childhood it always seems so idyllic and perfect," he responded.

She let out a loud laugh. "That's because I only tell you about the good parts," she replied, looking over her shoulder at him coquettishly.

He liked it when she was flirty with him. It was a different side of her people rarely saw. With her playing Ophelia, she was getting more and more bold in terms of her sexuality and he was enjoying watching her. But it was always her eyes that did him in. She had this ability to give a sexy stare, looking up at him from under her dark eyelashes in innocence and naughtiness at the same time. It was ten times better than any look any porn star could make. And several times Jared found himself waking from dreams which featured her gazing up at him in the same way as he did all sorts of dirty things to her.

"Can I take your picture?" he asked, holding his phone up.

She gave him a funny look. "It won't come out very good. It's dark," she laughed.

"Let me try," he said, holding the phone up and smiling at her.

He tried to capture the skyline behind her and her silhouette in the darkness. It didn't come out right, but it was still a beautiful picture. He uploaded it onto his Snap Chat with a grin. It was so dark no one would know it was her so it wasn't a big deal. He had been trying to limit the fodder for the rumor mills about them dating so he wasn't sharing as many photos with Daphne in them as he had before.

"Alright, let's keep walking. I don't like staying in one place too long here," he said, taking her hand and walking a bit further.

He liked the feel of her hand in his. It felt soft and small against his. His hands were torn up from rock climbing and guitar playing and all sorts of other things but hers weren't. They were soft and free of calluses. Her nails were always perfectly manicured and often he found himself wondering how hard it must be for her to maintain a perfect image all the time and what it must be like for Daphne to have that type of pressure on her all the time. They walked back through the trees and onto the path.

"Hang on, I want to get a shot of you coming towards me," he said, jogging up the path. "The light's perfect here."

Jared was too busy talking to notice that Daphne was silent. His back was turned and he didn't see what happened.

"Jared," her voice came to him, a mixture between a breathy whisper and a plea for help.

He turned to face her and his blood ran cold. In the spotlight of a street light, he saw Daphne being held by another man and he could see the silver of a knife flash against her throat.


	19. Chapter 19

"Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive." -Josephine Hart  
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Jared's heart dropped into his stomach and stopped. Daphne was standing in the light of the street lamp and it was casting garish shadows across her face. The man standing next to her was shrouded in darkness as he kept his face out of the light on purpose, holding her from behind with a knife to her throat. He took a few steps forward but stopped when the man spoke.

"You can stop right there," he said, his voice raspy and rough. "One more step and your girlfriend is gonna have a nice bloody smile across her neck."

Jared's heart started racing when he saw Daphne's face. She was petrified. Daphne was NEVER scared. Of anything. She was one of the most fearless people he knew. And seeing her like that scared him more than anything else. And yet at the same time, he found it oddly humorous. It was funny the things that drifted through your imagination in certain situations. He found it humorous because he was playing a character that was a lot like the man holding Daphne; he was crass and rude and had absolutely zero regard for human life whatsoever. Everything and everyone was expendable and replaceable.

"Well, technically, she's not my girlfriend," Jared responded.

"Alright then," the man said, yanking Daphne's head back by the hair and pressing his knife further into Daphne's neck. The shriek she let out caused hairs to rise on the back of Jared's neck. He could see a thin line of red making its way down her neck.

"BUT I am pretty attached to her!" he said hurriedly, holding his hands out in front of him in an attempt to get the other man to stop. He did and Jared let a loud sigh of relief escape his lips. "What the fuck do you want from me? Whatever you want, I'll give it to you."

He heard footsteps coming through the trees on his left and glanced over to see another figure appearing out of the darkness. It stayed in the shadows but didn't disappear. He was aware of its presence like someone who is aware they are being watched.

"What the fuck do you want?" he asked again, this time with more urgency. "Money? My credit cards? What? I'll give it all to you. Just please, let her go."

The laugh that escaped the man's mouth was maniacal and creepier than anything Jared had ever heard before. "You think I want your credit cards? I'm not stupid. The minute I'm gone, you'll call and cancel hem. Credit cards are useless to steal."

"So what the fuck do you want?!" Jared asked, his temper rising. He was doing his best to keep a level head because he knew the wrong thing could be the difference between he and Daphne leaving alive and the very likely possibility that Daphne could be slashed right in front of him. The fear was the worst thing. It left a metallic taste in his mouth that he would never forget. "I'll go to an ATM or whatever and take out money. I'll do whatever you want."

"I know who you are, you moron," the man replied. "Both of you."

He brought his face closer to Daphne's and Jared could see a tear slip down her face. The man released his grip on her hair and brought his free hand down to her waist, pressing her up against his body. Daphne looked like she might puke and Jared felt like he could punch the man in the face. He felt anger, hot and red, boiling up inside his body.

"So tell me. What. The. Fuck. Do. You. WANT?!" Jared screamed. His scream echoed in the empty park.

The man glanced at Jared and sighed. "Your wallet. Take it out."

Jared reached into his pocket quickly.

"SLOWLY!" the other man replied.

Jared slowed his actions. He pulled his wallet out and held it in his hands. He was suddenly aware of the other man walking toward him from the side.

"Take out the cash and give it to him," the man in front of him said. Jared held out about $200 in cash to the man off to the side of him. He took it quickly, shoving it into his pocket. "Your phone, put it on the ground," he continued. Jared dropped his phone onto the cement, having a pretty good idea of what was going to happen to it next.

Exactly as he had predicted, the man he had given the cash to stomped one shoe on top of the device, leaving it shattered and in pieces on the ground. Jared winced when he saw it. That thing was brand new and he had JUST gotten all of his contacts the way he liked them.

"Now then, DAPHNE," the man said her name with a sneer and she tried to jerk away from him as he pressed his lips against her cheek. This only resulted in another red line on her neck dripping down toward her breasts. "Ah ah ah, don't try to run, sweetheart." He took a deep inhale of her perfume, his eyes rolling back into their sockets. Daphne shuddered, clenching her eyes shut. "There is something YOU can give me."

The man ran his hand slowly along her body, pulling her skirt up inch by inch. Jared clenched his fists tightly and shook his head. "Don't even fucking think about it."

"Relax, Leto. I'm not going to rape her," the man said indignantly. "No. I'm just going to take her clothes off. Your dress Daphne. Take it off."

Daphne had been silent until that point, keeping her mouth shut out of fear. Then she spoke.

"Why the fuck should I?" she asked.

'That's my girl,' Jared thought, a small surge of pride filling his body.

And then searing pain hit his body as he was leveled into the ground. The man standing beside him had sucker punched him on the throat. Jared felt like he was suffocating. He clawed at the ground in front of him, his fingertips getting bloodied, trying to gasp for air. The concrete scraped against his skin as he sank against it, feeling his head hit against it hard. He could hear Daphne's shriek and hear her pleading with them to stop, tears on her voice. But it was all tinny, like listening to someone speak to you while you're underwater. It was all distant and soft. He was suddenly aware of his body's dire need for oxygen.

'Damn it Jay, BREATHE, motherfucker!' he thought to himself as he willed his lungs to work again. He let out a gigantic gasp as he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with precious oxygen.

"Please, stop!" Daphne shouted. "Here," she said, unzipping the dress from behind her and letting it drop to the ground. At least she was wearing a bra and underwear so there was that. "Here, take it," she said.

In the moonlight and light from the street lamp above him, Daphne looked like a slightly nude angel, hovering in front of him, fighting to try to get to him. Of course, that could have also been due to the oxygen deprivation he'd experienced a few seconds prior. Another searing pain came when one of the two men kicked him in the stomach, causing him to roll into the fetal position and lay still, trying to gasp for air once more. There was a shriek from Daphne and then silence. He forced himself to roll over, looking for Daphne.

She was lying flat against the ground on her side, looking over at him. She had a lost look on her face. In her bra and underwear she looked so small. He could see several tears working their way down her cheeks and pooling under her face on the concrete. He pulled himself onto his hands and knees and crawled over to her. There was a rather large bruise forming on her ribcage from where she'd been punched and the two small gashes on her neck had stopped bleeding, leaving two trails of smeared blood down her throat and onto her chest.

She stared at him, more tears flowing from her eyes. He noticed she had started shaking, even though it was a warm summer evening. He pulled her up into a sitting position and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.

"Daphne, look at me," he said softly, looking around to see if anyone else was nearby. "I need you to talk to me."

He held her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. Her jaw was clenched but her lips were trembling as more tears fell and she came to the realization of what had happened.

"Shhhh," he said quietly as a sob escaped her lips. "Daphne, look at me. You're alright. You're safe," he said, holding her against his body.

She gasped for air as sobs wracked her small frame and he tried to calm her. They sat like that for several minutes until she calmed down again. He stood up, wincing at the pain in his abdomen and helped her stand as well.

"Your phone," she said, gesturing over toward it.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll get another one." He bent down slowly to pick up his wallet, which the muggers had been kind enough to leave behind. He tucked it back into his pocket and turned back to Daphne. "Do you have your phone?" he asked.

She reached inside her bra and produced her cell phone, placing it inside his palm. It was still warm from being against her body. He gave her a confused look.

"I didn't have any pockets," she explained softly. He nodded and dialed the phone. "What are you doing?" she asked, walking over to him.

"Calling the cops," he replied. She gave him a confused look. "Daphne, we were just fucking MUGGED! Those fuckers stole my money, stripped you naked, punched and kicked both of us, and threatened your life with a motherfucking knife! Do you really think I'm going to just let them walk the fuck away?"

She glanced at her nearly naked body. "I'm not wearing anything," she said softly. "When they come we'll have to do a police report and everything. I don't want to be seen in my underwear."

He nodded and shouldered the cell phone, sliding his t-shirt over his head and handing it to her. She put it on and it came down past her ass. It was short but at least her underwear wasn't visible. The police arrived after about ten minutes. Considering the crime had already happened and there was little to no chance of even finding the person again in a city as large as Toronto, there was little to be done. Jared and Daphne were taken down to the closest police station in the back of a police car (which provided great fodder for the photographers that were waiting outside the building. Apparently the emergency call had been leaked by someone working in the department when they heard Jared's name and voice) and photographed for evidence.

"And you said they took…?" an officer asked, writing things down in a list.

"I gave them about $200 from my wallet and they took her dress as well," Jared said, indicating Daphne next to him.

She was still wearing his shirt and Jared had put his jacket back on. He was kind of chilly in the air conditioned room and his nipples could cut glass. He had zipped it back up but he was still shivering slightly. Daphne was shaking next to him. She hadn't spoken since they'd gotten picked up by the police. She also hadn't let go of his hand. Assistants had been called and people had been notified. His own mother was on her way from Los Angeles, even though he had insisted he was fine and didn't need her to fly all the way there.

"I'm more pissed off about what they did to her than what they did to me. It's just money," he added. "They forced her to take off-," he was interrupted by Daphne shifting and giving him a look. He cleared his throat and looked back at the officer. "I just want these assholes found before they do this to anyone else."

"Well," the officer responded. "There's very little we can do here. There are no witnesses and you didn't see their faces, so there's not much we can go on. We will put the case in to be reviewed and investigated, but we can't do anything else." He walked around his desk and sat back down. "We'll keep an eye out for that dress online to see if someone tries to sell it but otherwise we can't do anything else."

Jared sighed and looked over at Daphne. She was as pale as a sheet and silent, clutching his hand so tightly her knuckles were white. She shivered against him and clutched her cell phone tightly in her free hand.

"I guess we're done then," he said. The officer nodded and stood up.

"Thank you both for coming in and giving us your statements. We will give you a call if we find anything. And of course," the officer said, glancing at Daphne. "The details of the case won't be discussed with ANYONE without your permission or until the case is solved."

Jared nodded and stood, pulling Daphne behind him lightly. Mara and Kelly were outside in the lobby waiting for them. Kelly gave Daphne a big hug. Even Mara gave Jared one and he was happy to receive it. It was the first taste of normalcy he'd had in the past three hours. They went back to the hotel, avoiding the photographers as best they could.

"Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Kelly asked Daphne after she had showered and was getting ready to sleep.

She nodded. "I'll be fine," she insisted. "Besides, if I need anything, I can just call Wonder Boy over here," she added, nodding toward Jared. He smiled weakly at her.

Kelley nodded and went to the door. "Well if you do need anything, let me know." She moved to leave the room. "Oh and I called Johnny. He should be here in the morning. He said he was getting the first flight he could. I hope that was OK?"

Daphne sighed and nodded. "Unnecessary, but its fine. Thanks Kelly."

Kelly nodded and left the room. Mara followed her and Jared gave her a small nod before she left.

"Are you really alright?" he asked, leaning against the door.

Daphne touched the small marks on her neck. The EMT had said they'd likely heal in a few days and there'd be no marks. They had both been examined and were given clean bills of health. At least, physical health.

"I'll be fine," she said softly.

He nodded and shifted on his feet. "Do you want me to leave the door open or anything? I probably won't be sleeping."

She shook her head no and he left, leaving the door open. He sat down and opened his laptop, trying to figure out a statement to put out so people wouldn't spread rumors. They were already starting a rumor that he and Daphne had been caught having sex in the park by police. He sighed and ran his hands over his face in frustration. He stared at his blank screen for several minutes before starting to type a statement. He was halfway through it when he glanced up and saw Daphne standing in the doorway.

"What's up?" he asked, sitting back from his laptop.

She looked at him uncertainly. "Would you-do you mind-," she stammered.

He raised his eyebrows in expectation of her question.

"I don't want to sleep alone," she said softly with a sigh.

He nodded and stood up. She was wearing a large t-shirt and nothing else. It covered her ass but when she walked he could see her underwear slightly. She had a habit of sleeping in them. He was aware that he didn't have a shirt on, having just stepped out of the shower himself as well. He stood in the doorway, waiting for her to get into the bed.

"Do you want me to turn off the lights?" he asked awkwardly.

She shrugged. "Whatever you want."

He nodded and turned them off before walking over to the other side of her bed. He never shared a bed with a girl unless he was going to fuck her. It was strange to him. In fact he preferred to sleep alone most of the time. It probably came from the many tours he'd been on, having to sleep in single beds. He slid in next to her and lay on his back turning his head to face her.

"Daphne, please don't shut me out," he said softly, his voice a stage whisper in the darkened room. "I know it was scary as fuck. But we did the right thing. We both got out alive and that's what matters. It was just money and a phone and a dress. All of it can be replaced."

She shifted to face him and he heard her sniffle. She was crying. "I know, but I thought they were going to rape me," she said softly.

He grimaced at the image that came floating back to his mind. "I wouldn't have let that happen," he said softly, shifting to his side. The way she looked at him in the moonlight as it came through her window made him think that her fears were not just from this one incident, that there was something else she wasn't telling him. "Daph, has anyone else ever…" he asked, trailing off.

She took a deep, quivering breath and bit her lip. She nodded. "They've touched me, but never actually done anything beyond that," she replied.

"Who did?" he asked gently, trying to control the anger he could feel growing.

"A few different executives at parties or events," she said after a minute of silence. "They would rub against me or try to get me to dance with them or against them. I didn't tell anyone because it wasn't really anything."

Jared sighed and closed his eyes. He'd heard about different executives from studios trying to persuade young actresses to be a little too friendly with them. "When did this happen?" he asked.

She shrugged. "At the 'Rings' premiers," she replied. "But when Pete heard about it he was livid. He threatened to keep me from doing any press at all if it ever happened again. And it didn't," she said. "At least, not with that group anyways."

He reached over and wiped away a tear. She had to be dehydrated with the amount that she'd cried that evening. He had a strong urge to kiss her, just to make her stop crying if nothing else. But he didn't. He was still trying to process everything on his own, but then again, he hadn't had a knife pressed to his throat or been forced to strip practically naked, so he wasn't going to say anything. Another few moments passed in silence and he felt her move toward him more. She snuggled up next to his body and rested her head on his bare chest. Jared was sure she was so exhausted she didn't hear his heart beating out a samba in his chest as she fell asleep against him.


	20. Chapter 20

"Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars." -J. R. R. Tolkien  
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Daphne's scream woke Jared up. He shot out of bed like a bat out of hell with its ass on fire. He heard her shouting at someone and he ran down a long hallway, following her voice. He climbed at least three flights of stairs, throwing himself around each corner.

"Daphne!" he called, his voice echoing off the brick walls in the stairwell. "I'm coming Daphne!" he called again.

He stopped at a landing and rushed through the door in front of him. He was met by another long hallway, but he only had to run past a few doors before he saw one slightly ajar. He heard Daphne scream again, this time for help. He pushed the door open and he was inside an apartment. The hardwood floors creaked slightly under his feet as he stepped inside. He could see Daphne kneeling on the floor about ten feet in front of him. As he walked inside, he passed a small table with several open bottles on it. Several white pills were spilled across the table's surface.

Another woman came running in front of Jared, a cell phone in her hand. She was shouting instructions to Daphne, but Jared couldn't hear them. Everything was silent except for Daphne's voice. She was sobbing and trying to revive the person lying in front of her on the floor.

"Anna, it's not working!" she shouted over her shoulder. She turned her face back to the person in front of her.

Jared walked around the small room to get a better view of what was going on and when he did his heart stopped. There, on the floor, blue and stiff, lay the corpse of Heath Ledger, eyes wide open and lifeless. The shock of seeing a dead body was enough make him want to retch, but Daphne's next actions distracted him.

"Heath, please wake up!" she shouted at him, jostling his body.

But Jared knew no matter how hard she shook his body or how loud she shouted at him, he would never open his eyes again. And his heart broke for Daphne. She collapsed against his chest, sobbing harder than he had ever seen her sob. He wanted to reach out and touch her, comfort her, but he couldn't.

"Please don't leave me, Heath. Please," she cried against his still chest. "Come back, please," she sobbed.

Jared suddenly understood Daphne's relationship with him. There was a desperation in her cries-the same desperation in her eyes-, one of loneliness and fear. She looked so afraid and so young and so alone. And all Jared could do was stand by and watch helplessly as Daphne sobbed. The woman called Anna came over to her and pulled her away from him.

"Daphne, you HAVE to go. You CAN'T be seen here," she urged. "If you're here when the ambulance arrives, they'll want to question you and they'll want to know exactly what happened. And you were here, Daphne. You were here and you'll have to tell the truth!"

Daphne rubbed at her tears with the back of her hand. "I'm not leaving him," she replied, her voice quivering.

"Daphne, GO. NOW!" Anna said, shoving her so roughly to the door that Daphne stumbled and fell against the table, knocking several bottles over and causing a few pills to spill onto the floor.

She took one last look over her shoulder before rushing out the door. And Jared knew in that moment that it was the last time she ever saw him, dead or alive.

He came-to in a cold sweat. He was confused until he saw that he was in bed next to Daphne. He quickly recounted the previous nights' events to make sure nothing stupid had been done on either of their parts before remembering that he had just fallen asleep next to her. Then he was aware of his heart racing and he took a few breaths to calm himself down. He was also aware that it was still dark outside and he figured he must have only fallen asleep for a short time. She shifted next to him and he glanced over at her.

Daphne had kicked the blanket off of the bed and she was shivering slightly. Jared got out of bed as quietly as he could and put it back on her. He padded into his room to check his phone for any messages and sank into the sofa as he read them.

"Suicide Squad' stars assaulted!' read the headline on a news article he'd been sent. He sighed and read it to himself.

'Earlier this evening, actors Daphne Brando and Jared Leto were assaulted and mugged in a park near their hotel in Toronto. According to reports, the pair was walking through the park when they were threatened with a knife and forced to hand over money and clothing. Photos below show them at the police station immediately following the incident. More information to follow.'

He scrolled down to the photos and bit his lip. There was Daphne, wearing his shirt and jacket, blood dripping down her neck and tear streaks down her face. Her hair had been mussed and she was clinging to his hand as he led her inside. Then there he was, shirtless and bruised. He scoffed and tossed his phone onto the sofa next to him. He walked to the window and looked out at the city in front of him.

He didn't think he was that affected by the attack. It wasn't as though he hadn't experienced worse. He had lived on the streets for two months for God's sakes. He'd seen so much worse. No, Jared wasn't worried about it. He'd get over it. Maybe a few sleepless nights, but he'd get over it eventually. It was Daphne he was more worried about. He could handle giving away money and a few punches and a broken phone. But she was in a much more dangerous position than he had been in. He thought for sure he was going to have to watch them gang rape her or worse. He couldn't imagine the fear she felt in that moment. And the way she had looked at him, it ripped into his heart like nothing else ever had.

He shook his head and sighed, remembering the dream he'd had. What the hell was up with that? He'd had some pretty creepy dreams over the years, but that had chilled him to the bone. Seeing Heath's body laid out like that on the floor had raised the hairs on the back of his neck. It was even worse, watching Daphne's reactions. But what he couldn't understand was why the hell he'd even had the dream at all. As far as his dreams went, Jared rarely had any. It seemed more distant now and he couldn't remember exact details as they slipped away into his subconscious. But one thing that remained was the image of Heath and Daphne over top of him.

Jared moved back into Daphne's room and eased onto the bed as quietly as he could. She shifted toward him in her sleep and he put his arm around her. He was confused about his feelings toward her. He could feel something growing, but he didn't quite know what it was. They had great conversations together and they always had fun, but tonight had been different. He didn't know if it was just the lingering adrenaline running through his body or if it was truly something real. But watching her next to him felt simple and easy, which was one thing he NEVER was. And he was confused. Sometimes it seemed like she wanted him and others it seemed like she was pushing him away. She ran hot and cold with him all the time. But he supposed he did to her as well.

He was left wondering how things would be when they wrapped up filming. He didn't know if they'd remain friends or what would happen. He lie in bed next to her and listened to her breathing. In and out, in and out, it was like the ocean lulling him into a calm. He watched her snuggle up closer to him and he felt everything else drift away into silence as she slept. He didn't know how much time passed as he stared at her, but a knock at the door made him jump.

He got up quietly and walked over to the door, confused. Housekeeping usually waited until they were out of the room and Kelly and Mara had been busy all night dealing with the press. He glanced through the peep hole and his eyebrows shot into his hairline. He opened the door and standing in front of him was Johnny Depp, his assistant, and two large security guards on either side of them.

"We must have the wrong room," Johnny said, glancing at his assistant. "They did say 529, right Nick?"

Nick nodded. "That's right."

Then Johnny nodded. "Ah, right. You're the co-star," he said, sticking his hand out. "Johnny. How are you?"

Jared blinked rapidly in confusion before he was aware of the fact that he was still shirtless. Johnny glanced at his bare chest as he waited for Jared to shake his hand.

"Jared, sir. Nice to meet you," he replied nervously. He glanced over his shoulder at Daphne, who was stirring in bed. "I'd invite you inside, but she's still asleep."

Johnny ran his eyes across Jared's body again with an annoyed sigh, obviously indicating he thought they'd slept together or something. Jared crossed his arms over his chest self-consciously.

"She won't mind," Johnny said, taking a step forward and letting himself into the room. "She's always slept like the dead."

He paused, seeing Daphne still asleep, and walked into Jared's room. The security guards and Nick followed, leaving Jared to stand awkwardly by the open door in shock. He shook his head and shut the door, following them into his room, even more self-conscious of what may or may not be laying out for them to see.

"Shut the door, we need to talk," Johnny said, standing in front of the window with his hands in his pockets.

Jared looked at him indignantly before doing as he was asked. He wasn't used to taking orders.

"Sit down," Johnny said, turning his back to the window.

Jared felt two hands on either one of his shoulders applying pressure and forcing him to sit on the sofa.

"I guess I'll sit here, then," he said to himself. "No thanks guys, I got it," he replied to the guards sarcastically.

Johnny gave them a nod and they stepped into the hallway, followed by Nick. He stood in front of Jared, crossing his arms across his chest, surveying him quietly.

"Are you going to talk to me or just stand there and stare?" Jared asked, in an annoyed tone.

"I don't really think you're in a position to be using that tone," Johnny said, sitting opposite Jared on a chair near the desk. "Considering I practically walked in on you naked with Daphne."

Jared rolled his eyes. "I don't really understand why it's any of your business what Daphne does. You're not her father."

Johnny smirked a little. "No, I'm not Christian Brando. But I'm more of a father to that girl in there than he ever was." Jared gave him a confused look. "I met Daphne in 1996 while prepping for a film I was working on. She was eight. I have never seen a more beautiful child than Daphne. That girl rose from ashes, Jared. She had two parents who didn't give a rat's ass about her, who were too damn busy with their own shitty lives to realize her potential. A drunk and a selfish bitch. Those were her parents."

"When I first met her, she was climbing a tree in her grandfather's back yard. She had gone way up the branches and she kept calling down to her grandfather, 'I'm OK, granddad, I'm OK. Watch me climb!' And I asked him didn't that bother him, her climbing so high up in the tree. The branches had to have been weaker. Wasn't he worried she'd get hurt? And Marlon replied, 'She's fearless. She knows her own limits.' And so we started our meeting and things were fine for a few minutes. And then a branch snapped and she fell at least ten or fifteen feet. The scream she let out was blood curdling. I still hear it sometimes," Johnny shuddered at the memory.

"He rushed over to her and she was crying, tears streaming down her face. Everyone was shouting, screaming at each other. Christian and Natalie-her mother-were screaming and shouting as usual, completely oblivious to Daphne's injury. Only Marlon comforted her. He tried to pick her up, but he couldn't. So I did. She was so small for her age, and she looked up at me with those eyes. I could see that she was used to being ignored, used to the screaming, used to being hurt. We drove her to the hospital and I held her the whole ride in my lap. She wouldn't let go of me. Once she got calmed down she just kept staring at me. And I knew there was something special about that girl," he continued.

"It wasn't until weeks later that I saw her again," Johnny said. "She had this bright pink cast on her arm and was running around the set, asking for people's autographs. It was the funniest thing. She would twirl and twirl, doing pirouettes over and over again. She lived for her grandfather's smile. And he lived for hers. All she ever wanted was to please him. To please everyone."

Jared nodded. "That's a great story, but I don't understand the point of it."

Johnny sighed. "When Marlon's health started failing, he made arrangements for me to become her legal guardian. But he never wanted her to know because he thought she'd feel like she was being handed off to someone else."

"Again, I fail to see the point here," Jared said.

"A while back I did a film called 'Donnie Brasco'. Heard of it?" Johnny asked, examining his fingernails offhandedly. Jared nodded. It was a classic mafia flick. "While we were filming I met regularly with a group of men who…worked in the area and it came to pass that they owed me a favor. I haven't called it in yet."

"Is that a threat?" Jared asked.

Johnny shrugged and glanced up at him. "Only if you perceive it to be one."

Jared swallowed nervously. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. "So what? If I hurt her you're going to make it so I never work in Hollywood again?"

Johnny laughed. "No, about eight hundred OTHER people will make sure that happens. No no no," he said. "I'll just end you." Johnny gave Jared a straight stare, unwavering, trying to see who would blink first. The younger man paled visibly as well, much to Johnny's amusement.

Jared stared right back, but he couldn't hold it. "But that's the thing. We aren't really involved with each other like that."

Johnny gave him a dull look. "I'm not stupid, Jared. I see the way you two interact with each other when you're out. Yes, I keep track of Daphne," he said in response to Jared's confused look. "It's not just cutesy flirting. Hell, you answered HER door half naked."

Jared glanced down at his bare chest and crossed his arms.

Johnny leveled Jared with a stern gaze. "I don't care if you fool around with different girls. Hell, I was in your position once. Have your fun, I don't give two fucks. But DO NOT have your fun with Daphne. She is not the type of girl to be used for a trial run."

"You said it yourself, she knows her limits," Jared replied sourly. He didn't much enjoy the concept of another man telling him what he could and couldn't do. He felt like he was back in the principal's office in elementary school again. "If she's not interested she wouldn't keep going."

"That's where you're wrong. Daphne is unfailingly kind. I'm sure you've noticed it by now," he said.

Indeed he had. She would have given a homeless person the shirt off her back if given the chance.

"She doesn't want to hurt anyone, ever," Johnny continued. "And I don't want to see her hurt. That girl has lived through enough hurt and pain for three lifetimes. She doesn't need any more from men who flirt and then disappear."

"Do you give this speech to all her boyfriends?" Jared asked, leaning back against the sofa nonchalantly.

"No," Johnny replied, standing up. "Only the little assholes who seem like they're going to hurt her. I liked Jake Gyllenhaal a lot more than you. But it doesn't matter because you aren't her boyfriend, right?" Johnny added, clapping him roughly on the shoulder as he passed. "I'll see myself out then," he said, going into Daphne's room. "Oh, and a little less synth in your music would make it sound a hell of a lot better," he said before shutting the door behind him.


	21. Chapter 21

"We found Wonderland. You and I got lost in it." -Unknown  
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"And that's a wrap for Joker and Ophelia!" David's voice rang out throughout the studio as applause filled the large room from crew and other cast members.

They had just finished filming their last scenes together and Jared was relieved. Daphne was smiling, but her smile had been a bit stiffer in the past few weeks. She had also been much quieter with everyone. In the weeks since the attack, no new information was discovered and they had basically been told to forget about it and move on. Johnny seemed to be able to calm her down a good amount and the press was happy to see the three of them out and about. He had only stayed for a few days, but it made all the difference in Daphne's behavior. Jared never told her about his conversation with him.

Jared smiled as crew members and other members of the cast came and congratulated he and Daphne. Will Smith gave Daphne a big hug, picking her up in his arms.

"You two are amazing together," he said. "I really hope we see you in other stuff."

Jared smiled at Daphne and pulled her to his body. "It's all this one's fault," he said. "She's just so damned good looking," he laughed, planting a small kiss on her neck.

She shrieked and shied away from him. "Stop," she said laughing.

After a few minutes of conversation, they went to their trailers to get changed and relax a bit. Daphne always felt like she was leaving behind a piece of herself whenever she left a role. With each role it felt a little different, but the overall concept was still the same. She always felt like she was leaving SOMETHING behind. For 'Rings' and 'Harry Potter' it was the family she had developed there. For 'Risk' it had been part of her innocence in the form of her ability to sleep easily at night. But for some projects she felt like she actually gained something when they ended.

On 'Dark Knight', she gained Heath, even though their relationship had been a very brief one. With 'A Great and Terrible Beauty', she gained confidence as a producer of the film. As always, she was grateful to have had the experience of filming in whatever location she found herself in with whomever she found herself with. But she always felt a little bit empty after the cameras stopped rolling.

"Are you coming to New York City with me?" Jared asked, nudging her as he walked by. "I talked to Kelly. She said she's got a few days off now that filming is done and that you're completely free."

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Come on," he said. "Take a break. Come have fun. I'm going to hang out with Terry. Maybe we'll do a photo shoot. Could be fun."

Daphne sighed. "Won't you be spending time with String Bean?" she asked, referring to Valery Kaufman, who had been a girl he'd been caught with by paparazzi the month prior.

He laughed. "I haven't spoken with her since the attack. She called to see if I was okay. But that's it."

She glanced up from the paperwork she'd been reading when he said that. He climbed into her trailer and sat next to her on the sofa.

"Come on, Daph. Shannon's going to be there, too. You work way too hard," he said, running his finger across her cheek.

Even as they spoke, she was reviewing her script for the first episode of the next season of 'Burnout'. She had about a week before it started filming in Vegas. She sighed and turned to face him.

"Fine I guess I'll come," she said. "But I really do need to learn these lines."

"I can see your grandfather didn't pass his lack of preparedness on to you," he said with a chuckle.

"Yes, I'm a fucking Boy Scout," she said sarcastically. "Now get out so I can change," she said, pushing him out of her trailer and shutting the door in his face.

He smiled. That was the old Daphne. She was slowly getting back to herself. Jared had been very careful about his affection, though. After his conversation with Johnny-which hadn't really scared him as much as it had made him realize a few things- he had been much more conservative in his physical contact with Daphne. If she really was to remain a friend, then he had to wean himself of her slowly. He was planning on taking some time off to write and recharge after filming. He had been going pretty non-stop since 'Dallas Buyer's Club' had been released. Between press for it and then touring for the new album and then awards season publicity and now this film, he needed a break. He needed to write and play and relax.

He was a little concerned about how Daphne would handle them separating from each other. Not that it wasn't expected. She had to go to Las Vegas and work, she'd known that before she even started filming here. But he wasn't sure if she was expecting him to remain in contact with her or how it was going to happen. Usually with filming there was a period following where the cast would remain in contact, but it usually only lasted a few weeks before everyone resumed their normal lives again. He didn't think that would happen between them. She had many friends in the industry. She was an expert at keeping up relationships. The trick was making sure both people actually tried. Usually she ended up having dinner with the person whenever she was in town or even staying at their home if she was staying long enough.

They left Toronto on separate flights, to try to dispel the rumors that were still floating around. Even with the police report released, there were still rumors going around that they'd been caught for public indecency or whatever in the park. Why else would she be wearing his clothes and he'd be shirtless if they hadn't been in the throes of passion when they were discovered. Because that was the only logical answer, of course. They were both staying at Terry's place-he had offered it and Jared preferred to stay with friends and not in hotels. After being in one for the past two months or so, he was ready to sleep in a place that seemed more like a home. At that point he didn't care about the rumors, he just wanted to relax.

Terry Richardson had been Jared's friend for a long time. They bonded over their fucked up childhoods and similar tastes in art, music, and just about everything else. Every once in a while, when he needed some fun, he'd go in and do a photo shoot with him. They never really amounted to anything more than photos taken by friends of friends, but it was still fun and a great stress reliever. Terry had done several photos of him as Rayon as well as other characters. Jared was also excited to see his brother. They hadn't really spoken much since the attack.

Shannon had been livid when he arrived the day afterwards. He was in typical big brother mode. Their mother, Constance, had been a bit more level-headed about the whole thing, but she and Daphne had had several long talks and they seemed to get along very well. He found it even funnier when Johnny had come to lunch with them all one day, much to his mom's surprise.

Overall, Johnny was a really great guy, when he wasn't worried about Daphne. But Jared assumed it was because of his protective nature. She was like a daughter to him. They shared some great stories about her grandfather, much to his mother's delight. But one thing Johnny did tell him before he left stuck in his mind-aside from the likely death threat.

"Keep an eye on her eating," he had said.

Jared gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"When she's stressed, she doesn't eat as much. It's something she's had for as long as I can remember. Just make sure you see her eat something-but don't be too obvious about it. She hates the feeling of being on display," he told him. "She doesn't puke it back up," he added with a bit of a laugh. "She just needs to be reminded to eat sometimes."

The information had caused Jared to become slightly more observant of Daphne's eating habits. He noticed the way she tended to play with her food and move it around more. He also noticed that she had a habit of using her hands to eat and she often chose to eat finger foods instead of things that would normally need utensils. He found it particularly hilarious that she ate her tortillas by tearing small sections apart and rolling them up like little joints before biting the ends off. But he did notice that she tended to eat very small amounts and have meals very rarely on her own. Usually Kelly was providing her with them so she had no choice but to eat.

Jared smiled happily when Daphne arrived at Terry's apartment building. He was waiting in the lobby, glad that people hadn't followed him and happy to be free of the weight of the Joker on his shoulders. It had been a really big role to fill and he was just glad his part was done. Now it was up to the director and editor to make it look good.

"Hey," he said, standing and embracing her. "Did Kelly get off alright?" he asked.

Kelly had caught a different flight, headed back to her hometown for a few days, leaving Daphne alone. She seemed relieved actually. "Yeah, she was actually happy to go. I think she's getting tired of all the jet setting and time zone changes."

He nodded, all too familiar with the same feeling. He took her hand and led her to the elevator. "You've never shot with Terry before, have you?" She shook her head. "Terry works in a different way. He's much more shocking, so don't get offended or anything. Don't be afraid to say no or something if you're uncomfortable. More than likely though, it'll just be fun and we'll just be messing around."

They arrived on the floor for Terry's apartment and Jared took her hand, leading her down the hallway. Daphne was apprehensive. She'd heard some of Terry's shoots could get wild and crazy. She was used to being in front of a camera-it was half of her life. Photo shoots were second nature to her. She was so good at getting the shot right that several photographers told her she could be a very good print model. She didn't know what to expect when Jared opened the door.

What she saw was Shannon laying on a sofa watching a hockey match and an older man with glasses wearing a red flannel over shirt rushing around with a camera in his hand. There was another young woman there as well, sitting in a chair and looking out the window. Everyone glanced up when the door opened. Daphne saw that the young woman was Valery Kaufman and she felt Jared stiffen slightly next her.


	22. Chapter 22

"A kiss is a lovely thing designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." -Ingrid Bergman  
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The man running around stopped and came over to them. "Jared! And you brought Daphne Brando. Wonderful," he replied nervously upon seeing her standing next to him. He glanced around hurriedly, trying to figure out what to do. He reminded Daphne of the Tasmanian devil from 'Looney Toons'. Or maybe a crack user. "Hi," he said, holding his hand out to her. "Terry Richardson." She shook it with a gracious smile. "Wow, you're even more beautiful in person," he added, staring at her through his glasses.

She got the sense that she wasn't expected and she glanced at Valery, who was staring at them from the window. Daphne felt a sense of hostility from her and glanced at Jared. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

They had met very briefly in Toronto when she had run into her and Jared in the hallway of the hotel and their exchange hadn't been very warm.

Shannon hopped off the sofa and came over to Daphne, giving her a big hug. "Nope, Terry just thought Jay might like some company while he was here, but obviously it was unnecessary," he said, nodding his head toward Valery. Daphne got the feeling Shannon wasn't too excited at her presence, either. She smiled at him. "When did you decide to come to New York? I thought you'd be going home."

She shrugged, leaning against him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I took a detour. My assistant is on vacation so I'm pretty much on my own."

"Well you're welcome here," Terry said, taking her hand. "My God, you really are stunningly gorgeous."

"Stop flirting with her and come here, I need to talk to you," Jared said, yanking his arm and pulling Terry into the hallway.

Terry gave him a confused look. "Why didn't you tell me she was coming," he asked in a hushed whisper, gesturing back at his apartment door.

Jared gave him an annoyed look. "Why didn't YOU tell me SHE was coming?!" he asked.

Terry shrugged. "I didn't think it would matter. I thought you two were…you know…still…boinking," he replied, making a hand gesture.

Jared lowered his head into his hands and sighed with a laugh. "No," he said after a minute. "We aren't. We haven't spoken since the attack a few weeks ago. And I had intended to keep it that way."

Terry paled. "Oh. Are you and Daphne…boinking?"

"No," Jared replied. Even he was getting tired of the rumors. "She's just my friend. And stop using that word."

Terry laughed heartily. "I know how you treat your friends, Jay."

He shook his head. "She's different."

It dawned on Terry suddenly. "She's not a lesbian is she?"

Jared looked at him with a ridiculous look. "Not that I'm aware of," he replied. "Is Valery here for an official shoot or just because?" he asked.

"Just because. When you called, I called her, thinking you two would want to see each other again. Obviously I was mistaken," he answered, a slight blush rising in his cheeks.

Jared glared at him. "Obviously."

Terry opened the door and popped his head in the crack. Jared put his on top of Terry's and they looked into the apartment like two floating heads. Immediately on opening the door, they were met with an air of tension that was presumably rising from the two women in the room. Shannon was standing next to Daphne, talking to her quietly while Valery was getting a glass of water from the kitchen.

"What do we do with them?" Jared asked, looking at the older man.

"Let's just see how things go. They might actually like each other," Terry said hopefully.

Jared stared at him for a second before shaking his head. "No chance in hell."

He knew Daphne's personality as well as Valery's. He knew Valery was the jealous type and him showing up with Daphne on his arm, regardless of their relationship, would definitely set her off. He also knew Daphne was trained far too well how to behave with crazies, so he was sure she'd be able to handle her. At least he hoped so. They walked back into the room, Jared shutting the door behind them.

"So who wants something to drink?" Terry asked, swooping into the kitchen. "I've got water, tea, coffee, juice."

Daphne walked over to the kitchen and sat on one of the bright red bar stools at the island. "How about something stronger?"

Terry smiled at her. "That's a good girl," he said. "Anything in particular?"

Jared swore he could hear her mutter, "Whatever makes string bean go away," under her breath, but he wasn't sure. He stood near the door, unsure of what to do next.

"Jay, I haven't heard from you for weeks. How have you been?" Valery asked, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him. He didn't hug her back.

"I've been good. You?" he asked, sliding out of her arms and onto the sofa next to Shannon.

"So good. Terry has been shooting me for a few magazines. When he told me you were coming I was so happy!" she replied, sitting on the arm of the sofa next to him. She rested her eyes on Daphne. "But I didn't know you'd be coming with someone else."

Daphne swiveled around in the stool, holding a glass in her hand. "Jared invited me yesterday. It was kind of last minute," she said.

Immediately, Jared saw a change in Daphne. She had an air of authority about her. Even though she was only a few years older than Valery, she seemed so much more mature. He figured it was probably from all the years of working on films from an early age. But the way Valery narrowed her eyes at Daphne made him think something else was about to take place. The way women fight with each other is much more passive than the way men do. Men can get their aggression and anger out with a few punches to the face and then they're done. But women tended to go at each other with sharp, pointed words. It was no different with Daphne and Valery.

"My money's on Daphne," he heard Shannon lean over and whisper in his ear as they watched the exchange take place.

"Shhh," he said, wincing and clenching his eyes shut, biting his lip to avoid busting into laughter.

"Well how was filming?" Terry asked picking up on the tension. He walked over and sat on the sofa.

"It was good," Jared said, going over to the refrigerator and grabbing a beer. Ordinarily he didn't drink, but with Valery and Daphne in the same room, he figured he deserve a pass on this one.

"Why didn't you have me up to visit more?" Val asked in the whiney voice that he used to find cute and endearing, but now sounded annoying and immature.

"It was a closed set most days," Daphne responded, saving Jared from the awkward response he'd have had to give. "No visitors were allowed except essential people."

Jared had picked up on the small nuances in Daphne's speech patterns after listening to her for months on end. He knew when she was being patronizing. He had to bite his lips to keep the smile from coming to them. He stood next to her, leaning back against the island, and he was reminded of the time when he'd begged her to listen to him about what he wanted to do for the role of the Joker. They had spent several hours talking that day, and every day after that as well. In their conversations, they had started to drift into friendly discussions, which led them closer and closer together. He let his hand rest against the edge of the counter top and barely brushed it against the back of her arm as she sat there.

"How about you, Daphne? Was it fun for you?" Terry asked after several seconds of tense silence.

"It was an adventure, like any other project for me," she replied, well aware of Jared's fingertips against her skin.

"How many films have you done now?" Shannon asked, shifting on the sofa.

"Thirty-Three," she responded.

"That's a lot," he replied.

Another awkward silence filled the room. Valery was aware of Jared's hand now and she was setting her sights on Daphne.

"You know, I heard the strangest rumor about you, Daphne," she started, walking toward her.

"There are loads of rumors floating around out there," she replied to the younger woman.

Valery nodded, but continued. "It seems so untrue, but I just had to ask." Daphne nodded for her to continue. "Well, someone told me that the reason you've gotten so many films so easily was because you sleep with their directors. That can't be true, can it?" Valery asked in mock innocence.

Daphne's face fell. Jared winced, knowing how that must be making her feel, considering her past experiences. Her fingers gripped the glass she was holding so tightly, the tips were turning white. But she was a classy girl and knock-down, drag-outs weren't her thing. He half expected her to toss the drink at Valery and go rip her hair out of her scalp. But she didn't. Daphne simply took a deep breath, turned her gaze toward Valery, and walked toward her. He suspected there was as much acting in her delivery of words as there was truth.

"That's not true," she said. "I don't need to sleep with directors. They beg me to work with them because I have real talent." One step. "I don't need to audition because they know I have the skills." Another step. "Do you know, directors beat a path to my door on a regular basis? I have more projects lining up than I have time for." Another step. "I actually have to suggest OTHER actresses for certain roles," she laughed. Now she was directly in front of Valery, who appeared to be wilting with each step Daphne took. "But of course, I don't like to brag about my accomplishments. That's just rude."

"You get your roles because you trade on your grandfather's name," Valery said. "Not because you have any talent."

Daphne nodded, unfazed. "Really? Is that what you think? Well, I'll have to ask you then, how many Academy Awards have you won?"

Shannon let out a noise that was a mixture between a laugh, a gasp of shock, and a bit of a burp, but covered it quickly with a fake coughing fit. Jared rolled his eyes and downed a good amount of his beer. Watching the two of them face down was like watching an older lioness put a cub in its place. He almost felt bad for Valery. Almost.

"None," Valery replied, shifting on her too-tall heels.

"Really? Well, I guess that's not really fair, considering modeling and acting aren't really judged the same way," Daphne said, pacing around her. "So I'll ask you this. How many designers beg you to wear their clothes? How many designers are putting their lines on your body weeks before they're revealed to the rest of the world in the hopes that you'll bring them publicity?" Valery shook her head in silence. "None? Shame. Even Gisele and Heidi got that treatment."

Daphne was circling Valery like a lioness circles its prey, not taking her eyes of the younger girl. Jared knew it was purely for intimidation purposes. She'd never hurt her. But it was still incredible to watch. And kind of sexy, to be honest.

"Let me explain one thing to you, Valery," Daphne said, looking the girl directly in the eye. "I worked my ass off to get where I am now. I never have time off because I never take it. I could stop acting today and I would never have to work again in my life. Ever. And neither would my children, or their children for that matter. I have earned every role and proven, time and time again, that I was the right choice. And when someone suggests that I got the role I played in some other manner, I don't take too kindly to it."

Several seconds of silence passed as they stared each other down. Jared prayed silently that Val would just shut up and sit down so she could be spared any further embarrassment, but she didn't. She was obviously stupid enough to hop into the ring against a heavyweight like Daphne, so he had no hope for her being smart enough to know when to shut her mouth all together.

"I heard you're a whore," Valery replied, staring her down. Jared's eyes widened and he thought for sure that was it, that there'd be a catfight right then and there. "I heard you sleep with all of your co-stars, even the married ones."

Daphne let out a laugh that surprised everyone, even Valery. "See, that's where you're really wrong. I might be a whore," she said, taking a sip of her drink and leaning in close to Valery's face. "But I'm a whore with morals. At least I waited until AFTER Jared was done with you to fuck him. Ta." With that, she gave Valery her prize-winning smile and walked past the younger woman onto Terry's balcony, leaving her fuming and glaring at Jared.

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet under glare. He could see Daphne through the glass door and all he wanted to do was go out and comfort her. The look on Valery's face stopped him though. "Shannon," he started, trying to get his brother to take care of Valery. After her display with Daphne, he had no need to talk to her ever again.

"Got it," he said, taking Valery's hand and pulling her to the door. She was unceremoniously dumped on the doorstep. "We'll call you," he added before slamming the door in her face.

Meanwhile, Terry was giving Jared a knowing look. "Is she good?"

Jared gave him an incredulous look. "We haven't fucked yet, she just said it finish Val off."

Terry's face fell in disappointment. "Is it odd that I'm slightly turned on by her right now?"

Jared laughed and shook his head. "Absolutely not." He glanced outside and Terry gave him a nod before he sank into the sofa. "I'm going to go talk to her," he said, walking outside.

Daphne was facing away from the door, nursing her drink. He cleared his throat to let her know he was there before stepping onto the large balcony. She didn't move, only kept staring out at the skyline. He walked over and leaned his back against the wooden railing, sticking his hands in his pockets and turning his head to face her. The sounds of the city drifted up to them.

"I didn't know she was going to be here," he said quietly.

"It didn't sound like Terry knew I was coming, either," she replied, without looking at him.

"I'm sorry about Valery and all of this," he said quietly. He looked up, leaning his head back, out over the open air in front of them. "But it was kinda sexy to see you two fight over me."

She laughed and turned her head to face him. "I wasn't fighting her for you. I was putting her in her place because she needs to learn respect."

"Either way, it was still sexy," he said with a sexy grin.

She brought a hand up to his freshly-dyed hair. He had rushed to get it back to his normal hair color immediately after they wrapped. He didn't want to keep walking around looking a neon sign. It was back to his regular dark brown, but it would be several months before it was completely grown out.

"I like you better as a brunette," she said softly. "It suits you more."

He smiled and nodded toward her hair, which was also free of green dye. Hers had only been temporary streaks put in every other week and she'd gotten rid of them as quickly as she could. She was back to her natural black hair color. "I like yours better."

She chuckled softly. "So what are we going to do with ourselves, now that we don't have to spend every day together?" she asked.

He smiled again. "Well, you have to go to Las Vegas and I have to get back to Los Angeles. But that doesn't mean we can't talk like we do now."

She sighed. "That's usually how it goes. You talk for a few weeks, maybe a month, and then you move on and reconnect doing publicity."

"Well," he said softly. "I don't want to reconnect doing publicity." She gave him a confused look. "I don't want to reconnect at all. I don't want to drift away from you."

And in that moment, with the setting sun backlighting them, Terry captured the kiss of two figures on his balcony. It was a truly stunning image: two figures stood opposite one another, the light of the setting sun casting a halo around both of them. You couldn't tell who it was, just a male and a female outlined by the sunlight.


	23. Chapter 23

"Take a lover who looks at you like maybe you are magic." -Frida Kahlo  
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Daphne let out a soft gasp as he kissed her. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging for access to her mouth. His hand came up to her hair and gave it a gentle tug. She let out a low groan as she was reminded by the scenes on set they'd filmed where he wrapped his hands in her hair and pulled her head back, shoving his tongue down her throat. But this was different. He was more delicate and he was actually asking permission. Plus they weren't being watched by twenty other people. She slowed their kisses, confused about what was going on.

"Jared, I-," she started, fingers to her lips in shock.

"Are you two going to stay outside all night or are you gonna come in and have some fun?" Terry asked, popping his head out onto the balcony. He didn't say anything about the photo he'd just snapped. "Shannon makes a shitty photo subject by himself."

Jared sighed. "We'll be in in a minute," he replied, giving Terry a nod. He bit his lips, trying to figure out what to say next. It was Daphne who spoke instead.

"He's not going to ask me to get naked, is he?" she asked, looking up at him.

Jared laughed. "He'll ask, but you're welcome to say no."

"I think he's got a crush on me," she said quietly.

He put his arm around her and pulled her to him. "You think?" he asked with a laugh. "Come on, let's go inside."

He led her back inside. Shannon was the current subject of Terry's camera and he didn't seem happy with it. Terry glanced up as they came inside and he smiled.

"Now, Daphne, I know you're off, but what do you say to getting in front of the camera? It might make Shannon a bit more interesting," he said, nodding his head toward him. Shannon gave him the finger playfully behind his back.

Daphne laughed. "I guess," she said. "Where do you want me?"

He smiled. "Anywhere you want," he said. "I don't think there's a camera or angle out there that could make you look bad."

She blushed slightly as she walked in front of him. He stood back and stared at her for a minute before walking forward and placing her right next to Shannon. He took her leg and had her straddle one of his. Then he took a step back, taking a few shots.

"Don't look so stiff, Shannon. You've got the sexiest woman alive practically riding your dick. What the hell are you just sitting there with your arms crossed for?" Terry called from behind the camera. "Touch her for fuck's sakes."

Shannon glanced at Jared, who nodded. Daphne felt him bring his hands up to her hips and grasp them lightly. He rested his cheek against her side and she placed her hand on his other one, pressing him gently against her body.

"Shannon, take her hair down," Terry called.

Daphne could hear the shutter clicking rapidly as Shannon tugged gently on the band holding her hair up. It got stuck and she made a small noise of discomfort. Terry stepped forward to help.

"You don't mind, do you?" he asked, holding his hands up before touching her. She shook her head and he released her long hair easily. It tumbled down the side of her face in loose waves. He fluffed it gently with his hands, framing her face with it evenly. "God you have hair I could run my hands through all day."

"He wants to be a hairdresser if this photography thing ever goes in the shitter," Jared called from behind the camera with a laugh.

They did a few other poses before Shannon bowed out. He had a meeting for Black Fuel in the morning and he had to get some sleep. Jared left Daphne and Terry alone to say goodbye to his brother.

"I'd love to schedule some camera time with you for a real shoot," Terry said as Jared and Shannon spoke in the hallway.

"What's this then?" she asked, taking a sip from her drink as she sat at the bar.

He shrugged. "It's more of a fun, relaxing setting. Nothing really professional about it. I mean at my studio down the street."

She smiled at him. "Why can't it be professional? How do you want to shoot me?"

She got up and walked over to an open area, running her fingers through her hair to get it out of her face. Terry walked over and moved one of the lights around to light her better. "Can we do close ups? But down on the ground with me above?"

Daphne nodded, sinking into the floor and looking up at him. "Like that?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Perfect," he said, taking a few test shots. He wanted to capture her eyes. They were her most dominant feature. She was strikingly beautiful in black and white. Her dark hair and pale skin stood out against each other. "Open your mouth slightly," he instructed her, reaching to tilt her head toward the light gently. "I'd say you're a natural but I know you've had over a decade of sitting in front of cameras," he said as he snapped away with a laugh.

She smiled. "Yeah, it's kind of second nature to me."

"I wish I could have shot your grandfather," he said.

"I think he would have loved your work," she responded with a laugh. "He was always one for shock value," she added, sticking her tongue out at him playfully.

"I did a shoot with Kate Moss a few years back on a motorcycle that looked exactly like the one he rode in 'The Wild One'," he said with a smile. "I wish I had that bike he rode."

"I do," she said simply.

"No shit!" he exclaimed in surprise.

She nodded. "Don't tell Shannon though," she added. "I think it's his birthday present next year."

"So you and Jared, huh?" he asked, shifting her head to a different angle.

"What about us?" she asked, raising her eyebrow testily.

"You two look good together," he replied with a smile. "I know everyone thinks you're fucking," he added. "I don't."

She laughed. "Thanks for your vote of confidence."

Just then Jared came in and looked down at her on the floor. "What are we doing?" he asked, bending down next to Terry.

"Just taking a few shots of Glamour Girl," Terry said with a wink at her. "I think I've got what I need. But I really would like to do a full shoot with you sometime."

She nodded as Jared helped her up. "Is that all?" she asked. "From the way Jared described previous shoots he's had with you, I expected there to be a bit more…"

"Debauchery?" Terry interrupted with a laugh. She nodded, biting her lip. "If you're interested we could do something a little less G-rated."

Jared glanced at her in surprise. "I thought you said you didn't want to get naked?"

She shook her head. "I didn't say naked, did I?"

"Fair enough," Terry said, switching cameras out and sitting at a desk in front of his laptop.

The photos he'd just taken of her popped onto the screen and she walked over to view them. Terry had focused exclusively on her face, highlighting it perfectly. Her eyes stood out in the black and white and her hair was a perfect frame for her face.

"Jesus Daph," Jared said. "You have 'Fuck Me' eyes. They're stunning."

"She does indeed," Terry added. "Almost reminds me of the Afghan Woman."

She smiled. "I think its Jared's turn to get in front of the camera."

"No, you're coming with me," he said, taking her hand.

"New idea," Terry interjected. "Are those your bags?" he asked, pointing at Daphne's suitcases. She nodded. "Jared, you pick anything for her to wear and Daphne, go pick anything for him to wear. His bags are in the bedroom right there." Terry gestured behind him at a slightly open door. "Come back in three minutes and you'll have to wear whatever the other person has chosen."

Jared nodded and Daphne went into the bedroom. She unzipped his suitcase and wasn't at all surprised to see everything was neatly folded and organized. She ended up choosing a pair of jeans-which he never wore- and a simple white t-shirt. She didn't really know much about fashion, so she just chose whatever caught her eye.

Jared on the other hand was busily rifling through Daphne's suitcases, knowing EXACTLY what he wanted. He'd seen an entire black lingerie set, complete with lace thigh-highs and a garter belt before when he'd been looking for something for her. He figured she'd pick something practical and he knew this would shock her. Plus, he was also thinking of their kiss from earlier that afternoon. All he'd been able to think about since was pulling her to him and doing it again, but he wasn't sure how she felt. She hadn't really given him a response. To be honest, he wasn't sure how he felt either.

"Time!" Terry called. Daphne came back out with a pair of jeans and a white shirt in her hands. She paled when she saw what he had in his.

"Going down that road then, are we?" she asked in annoyance.

"Hey, he said pick anything," Jared said with a grin as he handed a black lace push up bra, a pair of black lace panties, a black garter belt, and black lace thigh high tights. She threw the shirt and jeans at him in frustration before huffing off to change. "She won't be comfortable with it," he told Terry with a laugh.

"How do you figure? She wore the same type of stuff when you were filming. Plus she's done lingerie shoots before," Terry responded. "Look," he said, waving Jared over to his computer.

On the screen, Jared saw a slightly younger Daphne wearing pinup style lingerie with Emma Watson lying across her stomach. It was an old Hollywood themed shoot and everything looked very glamorous and softly lit. It was one of the more famous photos of Daphne, done by Annie Liebovitz.

"We'll see. But I don't want you pushing her," he responded.

When she came into the room again, Jared swore he could hear that saxophone bit that plays whenever a sexy character walks in a scene in a cartoon. She looked every bit the part of a Victoria's Secret model, just minus a few inches because she was shorter. He even felt his dick twitch a tiny bit. He willed it to go away because that was the last thing he needed. She must have been feeling emboldened by the alcohol she'd consumed because walked right over and gave Terry a kiss on the cheek, leaving a bright red lipstick mark on his face. Jared rushed to capture the moment on the digital camera in front of him.

Terry blushed a little and placed his hand on the curve of her small waist as Jared clicked away. "Alright," he said, taking a step back. "Jared, you sit in the chair, in profile. Cheat about thirty degrees to your right. Perfect. Daphne, sit on his lap, facing him, legs on either side."

She took a deep breath and nodded before doing as he asked. Her stocking-ed feet slid a little on the floor and she let out a little shriek, but Jared caught her hand and steadied her. She straddled him carefully, holding on to the back of the hard plastic chair for balance.

"Jared, don't touch her. Hands down off to the side, but look at her. Daphne, hold on just like that, but look right at him. Straight into the eyes," Terry said, reaching out and gently curling a lock of her hair around his finger and placing it exactly over her shoulder. He slid her bra strap over her shoulder, leaving it bare. "Stick your ass out a little bit more, Daphne."

Daphne stared into Jared's eyes, enjoying the opportunity. Very rarely were they so still, right in front of each other's faces. They were oblivious to Terry moving around them, taking photo after photo. Jared searched her eyes for an answer to the question he hadn't even asked yet and she stared right back, a sultry smile in them.

"Daphne, how flexible are you?" Terry's voice interrupted their sexy staring contest.

"I haven't stretched, but I'm flexible enough," she said, looking over her shoulder at him. "Why?"

"Could you go into like a back bend from that position?" he asked, gesturing with his hand. She nodded. "Jared hold her hips so she doesn't fall."

Jared did as he was told, enjoying the feel of the lace against his hands as he pressed them into her hips to hold her steady as she bent backwards into a graceful arch, hands above her head in perfect dancer's position. The only problem was her movement against him had stirred something else up as well.

"Beautiful Daphne. Gorgeous," Terry said. "Open those eyes for me sweetheart. Perfect. Right at me." Daphne gave him her best sexy look, biting her lip lightly for added effect. The black lace stood out beautifully against her pale skin. "Oh my God you're so fucking beautiful I'm gonna fuck your brains out!" he added in a joking tone. Jared and Daphne both laughed loudly.

Jared had moved one of his hands to her stomach, running his fingers across it freely while Terry took close-ups of her face. He was staring at her while the older man shot her, enjoying the view from the angle he had, but also enjoying the feel of her against him. Her breasts were coming out of the bra slightly and she was aware of it. She held one of her hands across them, trying to cover them up.

"Alright, bring her back up. Can you support her weight and hold her halfway?" Terry asked. Jared nodded and carefully brought Daphne back up, wrapping one arm around her lower back and using the other to support her upper back, cradling her neck in his palm. "Oh perfect. Hold her like that. Daphne, lean your head back slightly." She wrapped her legs tighter around his body, pointing her toes as she had been taught to in the years of dance training she'd had.

Jared didn't need further instruction on what to do next. He nuzzled his nose into her chest, just above her breasts. Her hair tumbled across her breasts and over her shoulders and he was treated to a whiff of her perfume and shampoo. He let his lips brush against her bare skin, aware that Terry was still shooting them. He pulled her back up to face him, keeping his arms around her body. He closed his eyes for a moment when she brushed her fingers through his hair. He gave Terry a glance and shook his head, indicating that they were done. Or at least he was. If he had to keep dealing with her on top of him like that, in his arms, and looking at him like that, he thought he would fuck her against the wall then and there.

"Alright, it's late," Terry replied with a knowing smile. "I'm going to hit the hay." He set his camera down on his desk, walking by Jared and Daphne, who he still had sitting on his lap. "Should I put my headphones on?" he asked quietly in Jared's ear as he passed. Jared didn't take his eyes off of Daphne, who was giving him her porn star gaze. "Okay then," Terry said, continuing to his room. "It was nice to meet you, Daphne!" he called before shutting his door.

Jared and Daphne sat like that for several minutes longer, staring at each other. Her heart was racing and she was suddenly very aware of the clothes she was wearing and the position she was in. She was also aware of something else, under her, growing.

"Jared, I should go get changed," she said softly. Her voice cut through the silence. "I have a flight in the morning."

He didn't let her go. Instead he tightened his grip on her body and kissed her roughly. Again, it wasn't something she wasn't used to. He'd kissed her quite a lot during filming. But this one was different. There was a fire and passion in it. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip, pressing his fingers into her bare skin as he held her. She moaned softly against his lips as he clutched her tighter, standing up with her in his arms.

Daphne wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and kissed him back as she felt him walking through the apartment. He pressed her up against a wall and ran his hands down her body, resting them on her ass. He kissed her roughly, running his tongue down her neck and biting her gently on her collar bone. She felt his cock pressing against her gently but she was also aware of herself slipping down the wall.

"I've got you," he said, hefting her back up.

He kissed her again, softer, slower, enjoying the feel of her tongue against his. She unhooked her legs from his waist and he let her feet hit the floor. He pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it behind him on the floor and then he brought his hands behind her back and unhooked her bra deftly. She gasped slightly as he ran his hands across her body softly sliding the straps off gently, leaving kisses in their wake. He tossed the bra behind him, flipping Daphne to face the wall, rougher than he had intended to. He grinded his pelvis against her ass, bringing her hands up over her head against the wall.

She tilted her head back against his shoulder and sighed as he brought his hands down to her bare breasts, biting her neck softly. "Jared," she started, turning to face him. "Not here," she said.

He nodded, taking her hand and pulling her against him as he walked her backwards into the spare bedroom. He kissed her as they walked, running his hands down to her hips. He slowed his kisses to talk to her.

"Daphne, is this…?" he asked, in between pressing his lips against hers.

She nodded, lightly grating her fingernails against his bare back. The motion brought up goose bumps on his flesh and made him shiver slightly. Jared shut the door behind him as he pushed Daphne down on the bed.


	24. Chapter 24

"Grab my hair like you grabbed my heart, forcefully with your fists. Pull my hips closer to yours like the tides and teach me why the moon floods the beach at midnight. Remind me how to breathe by making me breathless. Don't love me tenderly, love me reckless." -Unknown  
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Jared pushed Daphne down on the bed, never taking his eyes off of hers. He ran his fingers up her body slowly, taking in each curve and the softness of her skin. He palmed her breasts, kissing her roughly.

"Daphne," he said between kisses. "Are you sure you want this? I mean, we haven't talked about anything and I don't-"

She cut him off with a rough kiss, bringing his hand down to her abdomen. "Less talking, more fucking," she said.

Her tone actually made him raise his eyebrows in surprise. He had the sense that now wasn't the best time to discuss anything. He groaned slightly when he felt her unbutton his jeans and unzip the fly, sliding them down slightly. He had to bite his lips to keep from moaning even louder as she slipped her fingertips inside his boxers and brushed them against his cock. He liked this version of Daphne. Porn Star Daphne with her dirty mouth and naughty eyes.

He slid his jeans and boxers off entirely, focusing on trying to get her garter belt off. He enjoyed watching her squirm against the bed as he brushed his fingers across her skin and trailed kisses whenever his fingers passed. He got it off and slid it down, along with her tights. He ran his hands up her legs, stopping them just inside her thighs. He guessed that she probably hadn't slept with anyone in a while and he didn't want to hurt her. As much as he wanted to literally flip her over and drill into her hard and fast, he didn't think it would be comfortable for her. So he figured he'd have to ease her into it.

Daphne brought her hands down to Jared's shoulders as he slid her panties off over her knees and dropped them onto the floor. She could feel herself dripping as he ran his fingers back up her leg and brought them back to her hips. The anticipation was nothing compared to the feeling of him sliding one finger inside her body. He groaned at the tightness and wetness of her pussy and she took a sharp breath in surprise. He moved up her body again, kissing each of her breasts before kissing her again.

She let out another gasp when he slid two fingers inside her. He bit her neck softly as she brought her fingers down and wrapped them around his cock, making him jerk forward slightly. He sped up his movements with his fingers, adding in his thumb on her clit, which had Daphne arching off the bed in pleasure. He smiled against her neck as he continued his motions, feeling her tighten around his fingers as she got closer and closer to orgasm.

"Stop teasing me," she said, looking at him with her Porn Star eyes. He nearly blew his load right then and there.

"Daph, it's been a while for you, hasn't it?" he asked, pulling his fingers out of her and resting his wrist on her hip bone.

She blushed slightly. "Yeah, but I don't see how that matters."

He kissed her softly, taking a deep breath to slow things down. "Look down," he said, nodding his head down toward his cock, which was now fully erect and at attention.

She had a pretty good idea of what Jared was packing, having lived next door to him for several months. Any time you share such close quarters, you're bound to catch the other person in varied states of undress at least once. Not to mention, she figured he had to have something spectacular to make Val scream her lungs out like that.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said, sliding his fingers back inside her.

"You won't," she said, arching her back off the bed in frustration.

Jared had been down that road before. And if he was going to do this with Daphne he was going to do it right. He wasn't sure where they were in terms of their relationship but he definitely knew he didn't want to be too rough with her, though she seemed to instigating a decent amount of roughness on her own. It was yet another surprise he had discovered about her. She looked up at him with those yet again and it drove him crazy. He growled and climbed on top of her, making her gasp in surprise. He kissed her roughly and positioned himself just outside her pussy, taking a deep breath as he slid his cock in slowly.

Daphne gasped slightly as she felt him slide inside her. Jared had to kiss her to keep her from making too much noise, though he had a pretty good idea that Terry knew what was going on. Hell the asshole was probably fapping away to them that same moment. He gripped the sheets on the mattress tightly as he slowly started moving in and out of Daphne. She was so tight for him that he nearly came right there. For a brief moment he wondered if she was a virgin and a look of panic crossed his face. He didn't want that for her. Not with him.

"I'm not a virgin," she said against his neck as she bit him, harder than he'd been biting her. "I can see it on your face."

He laughed, relieved. She made a face at him and he kissed her again. "You want me to fuck you?" he asked, sitting back on his heels and draping one of her legs over his shoulder. She nodded and gave him a sexy moan at the change of position. He gripped her thigh as he sped up his pace; fucking her so hard, her tits bounced and the headboard hit the wall. Daphne moaned loudly as she gripped the sheets on the bed, feeling herself tightening again as she climbed closer and closer to orgasm. She let a string of expletives fall from her mouth as she came, arching off of the bed and clenching so tightly around Jared that he had to stop moving.

She looked at him and sighed. "Well go on," she said with a bit of a grin. "I KNOW you haven't cum yet. You're being too gentle and easy." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, prompting him to growl at her again.

In an almost fluid movement, he slipped out of her, flipped her over on her knees, and slipped back into her, holding her hips. She moaned at the change of position and Jared gripped her hips and ass tightly as she lowered herself onto her chest in front of him, changing the angle and causing his cock to rub against her pelvic bone. He felt himself tensing up as he got closer and closer, slamming into her, perhaps a little harder than he had intended. She was moaning loudly in front of him, but he was focused on one goal only at this point. He gripped her body tighter, feeling her tightening around him again. Plus the view was excellent.

And then it hit him. He came, emptying himself into her with a loud groan, feeling his cock twitch inside of her. At the same time, Daphne came again, with a loud moan, saying his name as she did. He sat still for a moment while she clenched around him, running his fingers across her body. He noticed his handprint was bright red against her pale skin and he felt a small twinge of guilt. He placed a kiss on it and rolled his tongue against her skin. She was still silent and her breathing was heavy.

"Daph, are you alright?" he asked softly, pulling out of her and running his hands up her back softly.

She nodded. "That was…wow," was all she could manage between heavy breaths.

He smiled softly and kissed her between the shoulder blades as she started to shiver. He pulled a blanket over top of them and settled next to her. Her breathing had come back to normal but she was drenched in sweat. He ran his fingers through her hair as he enjoyed the post-coital afterglow. After a few minutes, she fell asleep against him and he slid away to go to the bathroom, after pulling on his boxers, and found Terry in the hallway.

"Earth-shattering, as always?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

Jared smiled and nodded. He went into the bathroom and sighed. He leaned against the wall as he peed, trying to calm the panic attack that seemed to be taking over him. He didn't understand why he was panicking. He had wanted to do that with Daphne for a long time. It wasn't the exact way he'd intended it, but it wasn't bad. It was actually very good, considering it was their first time. If things could only go up from there, then the sex would be incredible later on.

But that was the thing. Later on. Jared wasn't even sure he wanted a 'later on' with Daphne. It had all happened really quickly. And she was just so incredibly sweet and kind and caring. She was so sweet it made his teeth hurt. And he was so wrong for her in so many different ways. He was so afraid of hurting her-other than Johnny Depp's threat-and so afraid of doing something wrong. He liked their friendship and she wouldn't be the first one of his friends he'd slept with. But he got the feeling that she didn't just want to be friends. And neither did he.

Jared's mind was so scrambled; he went into the living room after washing his hands and sat at Terry's laptop, looking at the pictures in the moonlight. He opened the file with her close-up shots and stared at one in particular. She was sticking her tongue out playfully at him. It was her exactly: playful and sweet. She played so many serious characters that he had forgotten how young she actually was. She was only twenty-six.

Johnny's words echoed in his memory as he looked at the next image. Her hair fell gently across her face, giving her a bit of a windswept look. Her eyes connected with the camera and pierced him to his heart. What had he done? How could he do this to someone so sweet and kind and caring? How could he hurt her like this? He knew he was going to hurt her. He knew because he always did. One way or another. In that moment, Jared realized he had to get out.


	25. Chapter 25

"Honest to God, I will break your heart. Tear you to pieces and rip you apart." -30STM  
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Daphne woke up the next morning alone and sore. It had been a while since she'd had sex and the experience last night was a bit more extreme than she expected. She sighed and stretched, feeling the stiffness in her sore muscles. She glanced around and saw no evidence of Jared. Anywhere. The bed next to her was cold and his bags were nowhere to be seen. She heard movement in the living room and wrapped herself in a sheet, hoping to find him in there. Instead, she was met only by Terry, who was sitting at his computer. He glanced up when she came out of the room.

"Where's Jared?" she asked quietly, well aware of what she must look like, standing there wearing nothing but a sheet. She glanced around the corner into the kitchen, but found no one. Her heart deflated a little.

"He said something about having business in Rio. He caught an early flight to Rio this morning," Terry replied without looking up. "There's coffee in the kitchen if you want some."

Daphne got the sudden feeling that she was a stranger. Like she was unwanted. She hardly knew Terry and Jared had left her there. Alone. She wasn't the co-dependent type by any means, but she only came because he had convinced her to join him. She fought back tears, biting her lip.

"Ohh! Hold it right there, it's perfect!" Terry said, running over toward her with his camera. He took a quick shot as Daphne glanced around in shock.

Jared had used her. He had fucked her and then left her. That was all he wanted with her. She didn't know which was worse: that he took months to lure her into a false sense of security or that she had actually believed that he was going to be different. A tear slipped down her cheek and Terry captured the moment. She shook her head quickly to clear it.

"Well, I guess I should be going," she said, turning to go back into the bedroom.

Terry nodded, putting his camera down and watching her walk into the room. Daphne pulled her clothes on from the night beforehand and walked into the bathroom to freshen up. She stared at herself in the mirror in frustration. She thought Jared was someone she could trust. She thought he felt something for her. She thought SHE felt something for him. Now all she was left with was a rather large bruise on her ass of his hand print and the walk of shame past Terry Richardson.

Why the hell had she agreed to come with him? She should have just declined and gone home. Then none of this would have happened. She stared at herself in the mirror, more tears falling. Stupid. Stupid Daphne. There was a knock at the door that startled her.

"Did you fall in?" Terry's voice met her ears.

"Oh-uh-no. Sorry. I'll be out in a minute!" she called, wiping the tears again and straightening her clothes.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. Terry was back at his computer, typing away and looking at different photos from the night beforehand.

"Come here and see what we got," he said, waving her over.

She walked over and took a seat next to him, trying to break the awkwardness in the air. The last thing she wanted to do was go running off and give him the impression that it was normal behavior for her to come in, shack up with a guy, and then go their separate ways. But, that's what appeared to have happened.

"Did Jared say anything about why he had to leave?" she asked.

Terry shook his head. "Nope. He was gone when I woke up. He just sent me a text saying he had some things to take care of down there."

She nodded. So in order to escape having to wake up next to her, he had fled to another hemisphere. Wonderful.

"But check these shots from yesterday out," he said, bringing up a file full of photos on the screen. "You two are so hot together."

Daphne looked at the photos of the two of them staring at each other. She remembered how his hands had felt on her bare skin and the chills she got when she stared into his eyes. Looking at the photos, she almost felt like a voyeur, watching another couple in the throes of passion. They looked so perfect together.

"They're so good," he said. "Which reminds me," he added. "I need you to sign this release form so I can use your photos."

He produced a sheet of paper with a legal contract on it, removing her rights to any and all photos taken of her while she was there, should he choose to use any in any show or on his website or sell them. She glanced it over and shook her head.

"I'll give you permission to use the close ups of my face, but not these," she said, nodding her head toward the screen where the racy images were still up. "And not the ones you just snapped earlier when I woke up."

He stared her down, but he was no match for Daphne, who had years of experience signing contracts with different companies. He fell within ten seconds.

"Fine," he said, altering the contract with his pen. She signed with a smile.

"But the ones from this morning are absolutely gorgeous," Terry said, bringing them up on the screen.

Daphne gasped quietly when she saw them. They WERE gorgeous. Her hair was lightly tousled and she had a bit of a glow about her-the kind you get after you've had sex. Her eyes were full of tears and only one had fallen down her face. That, combined with the sheet pulled around her body, almost gave her the look of a refugee. Her eyes were lost, confused, and afraid. But there was a strength behind them, defiance almost, that changed the mood of the picture. With the morning light coming in above her from the skylights, she looked almost angelic. And then she remembered what had caused her to look that way. It wasn't Terry's phenomenal photography skills. It was Jared's disappearance and deceit.

She shook her head. "No, please don't."

With that, she walked over to her bags and shoved the clothes from the shoot last night into one of the pockets.

"Oh, you'll want this back," Terry said as he held her bra out for her. "It looks better on you than me, anyways."

She blushed furiously and yanked it from his hand, tucking it into the pocket as well. She silently cursed Jared and hoped whatever the fuck he was doing in Rio was worth it. Because the next time she saw him, she was going to punch him in the face.

Daphne got a taxi and then went to the airport. She texted Kelly what had happened so she knew about the photos being used, but she left out the part about sleeping with Jared and the racy photographs. She sighed as the plane took off (she'd managed to sneak past any paparazzi as she entered the airport) and was glad to be headed home. In a matter of a few weeks, she'd be back in Las Vegas filming the second season of 'Burnout' and she'd be back to living with Jack. As the plan ascended to the heavens, Daphne watched New York City grow smaller and smaller, and she knew she'd left behind a special part of herself.


End file.
